Inzaghi Looking To Shrug Off Cup Specialist Title When Inter Hosts Allegri’s Juventus In Serie A – News18

MILAN: The king of cups is ready to go toe-to-toe with the king of Serie A when Inter Milan hosts Juventus in a match that might go a good distance towards deciding the vacation spot of Italian soccer’s high prize.

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi has gained three Italian Cup titles and lifted the Italian Super Cup 5 instances, incomes him the title of “Re di Coppe” (“King of Cups”). He additionally steered Inter to the Champions League ultimate final yr.

However, the 47-yr-previous coach has by no means gained a league title, though he seems to be nearer than ever to it this season.

But standing in his means is among the most profitable coaches in Italy: Massimiliano Allegri.

The 56-yr-previous Allegri has gained six Serie A titles — one with AC Milan and 5 with Juventus — and solely Giovanni Trapattoni has extra, with seven.

Juve’s current victory over Lecce moved it briefly atop the league and was Allegri’s three hundredth in Serie A, placing him third on the all-time checklist, behind solely Nereo Rocco (302) and Trapattoni (352).

Last weekend, Juventus may solely draw at house to relegation-threatened Empoli — following Arkadiusz Milik’s early sending off — and Inter gained at Fiorentina to reclaim the Serie A lead.

Inter heads into Sunday’s Derby d’Italia one level away from Juventus and with a recreation in hand due to its involvement within the Italian Super Cup — which it gained.

“There are still a lot of matches and the road is long,” Inzaghi stated after the Fiorentina win. “Being a point ahead or two points behind doesn’t change much at the moment.

“What matters is that the team continues in this way because there are so many matches that will be difficult like tonight.”

It will even be a conflict of reverse kinds at San Siro, with Allegri’s Juve recognized for its stingy protection and uncommon forays ahead and Inzaghi’s Inter topping the Italian league scoring charts.

However, one thing seems to have modified at Juventus. Before the match in opposition to Empoli, it had scored 18 targets in its 5 matches in January.

Much of that credit score is right down to a reinvigorated Dušan Vlahović, who netted six instances in his 4 league matches final month.

No one has began the yr higher within the high 5 leagues in Europe, not even Inter’s aim-machine Lautaro Martínez, who has 4 in three matches and leads Serie A’s scoring chart with 19.

Nevertheless, Allegri has stated that Inter are “clear favorites.”

“We have in front of us a strong team, Inter, that is the favorite and has got a lot of points, they’re doing extraordinary things,” he added. “Being up against them is a source of pride for us seeing as we’re on a different path.”

Indeed, few would have imagined Juventus can be on this place after final yr’s disastrous season which noticed it as soon as once more mired in scandal, with the whole board resigning and the staff hit by a ten-level penalty for false accounting.

If Allegri manages to steer the Bianconeri to the title it is going to arguably be his greatest achievement thus far as, not like in earlier title-successful campaigns, his staff is principally devoid of star gamers and — on paper at the very least — Inter has a far superior squad.

“We have to try to make the impossible possible,” Allegri stated.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)