We knew that Juventus’ international breakthrough after October would not be so easy. That’s not just because there are a lot of games in a 22-day period, which doesn’t allow for much rest for a team already cash-strapped due to injuries. But when you have a tough Champions League match – one that, as we now know, didn’t go very well at all – sandwiched between two very important league matches, the second of which is the biggest of them all.

There wasn’t much to write home about for Thiago Motta’s squad through the first two games. Well, technically it is, but it hasn’t been all that positive.

So with the Serie A schedule proving to be the gift that keeps on giving, here comes Juventus’ most hated rival on the fixture list. And one that, with Motta in charge in Turin, adds a new layer to a rivalry that resembles a never-ending Russian nesting doll of storylines.

Certainly, the 42-year-old Motta has scored against Inter Milan before, but he has never experienced this match against the club with which he won the Champions League during his playing days as main man at Juventus. Sunday night at San Siro will be Motta’s first Derby d’Italia on the Juventus side of the equation, with quite a few heated moments from his playing days in Milan sure to be at the forefront of much of the conversation surrounding these two teams going into the weekend as the two best teams behind leaders Napoli. (Which happens to have his own recent history with Juventus and Inter, so you have to take that into account too, I guess.)

But this will be a night where storylines abound with the defending champions (barf) hosting their biggest rival – the simple fact that it’s Juve vs. Inter, Motta’s first time at San Siro as Juve manager, is the first Thuram Derby between Khephren and Marcus in Serie A. And the biggest, at least from Juventus’ perspective, could well be how the Bianconeri can get out of their funk since their wild comeback win over RB Leipzig 3 ¹⁄₂ weeks ago.

Since that victory in Leipzig on October 2, Juve have drawn against Cagliari, barely beaten 10-man Lazio and then didn’t look very good as they suffered their first defeat of the season – on their home pitch, no less – when Stuttgart finally found a breakthrough in second-half stoppage time last Tuesday evening. Things haven’t been great, and now Juve have to step into a 76,000-seat cauldron that will be more than just a little stoked to try and help extend their hated rival’s recent struggles.

Both Juve and Inter are dealing with their own injury situations. You could probably say that Juve’s injury situation is even worse knowing that they are without their best defender, their top summer signing and one of their best options out wide. Inter will also be without a few key players, most notably midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu, who left Inter’s win over Roma with an injury and is yet to recover.

Those injury problems for Juventus are not new, apart from the absence of Douglas Luiz. They were present during these first two matches after the international break. And in those two games, it’s not like Juve looked that great, whether they were playing against eleven or ten men. So now against an Inter team that hasn’t been as good defensively as a season ago, but still has defensive quality. On the other hand, Juve will have to try to do this with an attack that is still trying to click through on a much more consistent basis.

At least Juve have been strong defensively, right?

That Juve defense will also be tested given Marcus Thuram’s form and the fact that Lautaro Martinez is always a big threat to score, even if he hasn’t started that well this season compared to 12 months ago.

We’ve seen a lot of big tests for this Juventus team in Motta’s first two games ¹⁄₂ in charge for months. Although Napoli currently sit at the top of the table, this could be the biggest of the tests considering who it is and where it is being played. It is no surprise that Motta is not withdrawing, despite the players not traveling to Milan. He says Juve will have to be “good at implementing our playing style in the match” against Inter on Sunday evening.

To do that will be a big ask, but a win could go a long way to hopefully turning the tide after some very obvious problems in October.

TEAM NEWS

• Motta said in his pre-match press conference that the injury list for the trip to San Siro is the same as it was against Stuttgart in midweek. That means Juve will have to do without: Gleison Bremer, Teun Koopmeiners, Nico Gonzalez, Arek Milik and Douglas Luiz, who withdrew from the pre-match warm-up on Tuesday due to a muscle injury.
• Also not part of the match selection: Juve third-choice goalkeeper Carlo Pinsoglio, who welcomed baby boy Isac into the world on Saturday. However, he will meet the team in Milan on Sunday.
• With Juventus having only called up four midfielders for the trip to Milan, Nicolo Fagioli is tipped to start in 10th spot behind Dusan Vlahovic as Motta rolls with a 4-2-3-1.
• Although, when asked about Kenan Yildiz potentially playing in the hole instead of out wide, where he has played for much of the season, Motta joked, “He could play there, why not?”
• On how he is handling things after Juve suffered their first defeat of the season on Tuesday, Motta said: “Stuttgart is history and we are going to play Inter.”
• The key for Motta against Inter? “We must face Inter with courage and determination,” he said.
• While Michele Di Gregorio is expected to return to the starting line-up after being suspended in midweek, Motta said Mattia Perin “could play” after his standout performance against Stuttgart.
• We don’t normally mention who the referee is in previews here, but this time it deserves a mention. Marco Guida will be in charge of the proceedings. That’s the same Marco Guida who led Lille’s 3-1 win over Atlético Madrid in the Champions League and awarded the French side a rather controversial penalty, with Diego Simeone saying the 43-year-old Italian was “hallucinating” at the moment of the decision . .

JUVENTUS PLAYER TO WATCH

Kenan Yildiz announced his arrival at Champions League level with one of the best goals any Juventus player will score this season.

However, things haven’t exactly gone well since then. And with the current state of Juve’s attack being what it is due to injuries and ineffectiveness, it would certainly be nice to get out of the slump, wouldn’t it?

Photo by Sportinfoto/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

In his last six appearances for Juventus in all competitions, YIldiz has not scored a goal or assisted. At times he looked dangerous, while at other times he looked a little strange and possibly pushed a little too hard to try to get things moving again. Since his miracle strike against PSV Eindhoven, which saw Juve score their first goal of the season in Europe, things haven’t been so great for one of Motta’s most important players.

Is he tired?

Is he busy?

Is it a bit of both?

According to Motta, all is well with Yildiz, no matter how things look from the outside.

“Yildiz is feeling good, he needs to improve in every aspect of the game, just like everyone else,” Motta said during the pre-match press conference on Saturday. “He must be connected to the team at all times, from the defensive phase. He is still young, but already a great player who we have to use in the best way, both as a winger and as a midfielder.”

Despite still being months away from leaving his teenage years, Yildiz is very aware of what wearing his new kit number means. And it was that goal against PSV that showed what a talent he is and that he can be a big part of the future of this club.

But there is also a simple fact that despite his inexperience, Juve ask a lot of him. He played the third most minutes this season, after Dusan Vlahovic and Andrea Cambiaso. As much as he likes to drift wide to the left, it’s still not entirely certain that the left wing is the best position for him to move forward full-time.

However, it is clear that regardless of whether Yildiz is played out on the left or in the hole, his contributions will go a long way to Juventus having a good day or a bad day against their most hated rival. He has said he wants to score a goal against Inter at San Siro, as his idol Alessandro Del Piero has done, so now seems a good time to come out of his slump and make that happen.

It would certainly go a long way to easing some of the heat that has come his way (fairly or unfairly) in recent matches.

CONTEST INFO

When: Sunday October 27, 2024.

Where: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy.

Official kick-off time: 6:00 PM in Italy and Central European Time Zone, 5:00 PM in the United Kingdom, 1:00 PM Eastern Time, 10:00 AM Pacific Time.

(Please note that Daylight Saving Time in Europe comes into effect on Sunday, October 27, so times in your location may differ from the usual 6:00 PM CET.)

HOW TO WATCH

Television: Fox Deportes (United States; TLN (Canada); Sky Sport Uno, Sky Sport 251, Sky Sport Calcio (Italy).

Online/streaming: Biggest+fuboTV, Foxsports.com, FOX Sports app (United States); fuboTV Canada (Canada); OneFootball.com (United Kingdom); DAZN Italia, Sky Go Italia (Italy).

Even more live view options are available hereand as always you can also follow us live and all the stupid things we say on Twitter. If you haven’t already, join the community on Black & White & Read All Over, and join the discussion below.