As a lot because the looming Champions League tie in opposition to Galatasaray is one thing that has been on our radar for the final couple of weeks, the identical can’t be stated in regards to the second assembly of the 2025-26 season in opposition to Inter Milan. That’s just because the Derby d’Italia is one thing you’ve circled in your calendar for months, and primarily based on how the primary matchup went, the second was at all times going to be an essential measuring stick for either side of Italy’s largest rivalry.
In fact, quite a bit has occurred since that mid-September fixture that noticed a seven-goal thriller go the way in which of Juventus.
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That win proved to be one of many final ones that Igor Tudor recorded as Juventus supervisor earlier than being fired all of 5 weeks later. Sure, the identical Tudor who’s about to turn into an interim supervisor for the second straight season, with a couple of Juventus gamers of the previous. As Juventus went by way of a managerial change and the next evolutionary course of that comes with it, Inter have solely gone on to ascertain themselves because the Scudetto favorites — one thing that makes completely no one who’s an everyday BWRAO reader truly wished to see occur.
So now, 5 months after that first assembly that ended with Vasilije Adžić sending the Allianz Stadium into an absolute frenzy together with his hammer of a game-winning purpose, Juventus and Inter meet once more, this time for a Valentine’s Day showdown on the stadium that simply hosted the Opening Ceremony for the Winter Olympics.
Juventus are actually an improved crew underneath Luciano Spalletti heading into Saturday night time’s matchup with the Serie A leaders. Inter are possibly much more of a case of a crew discovering severe kind over the past couple of months and have been capable of construct an eight-point benefit over metropolis rivals AC Milan coming into Matchday 25. (That was minimize to 5 factors with Milan’s victory over Pisa on Luka Modric’s late game-winning purpose as a result of that’s simply what a world-class participant at age 40 is able to typically.)
Each groups are higher than they had been the primary time the Derby d’Italia was on the schedule.
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However the query is: Can the present model of Juventus, one that’s coming off a loss to Atalanta within the Coppa Italia and a irritating draw with Lazio final weekend, get the higher of the present model of Cristian Chivu’s Inter?
We all know how the final couple of outings for Juventus have been extra about what they haven’t executed regardless of being removed from a aspect that has performed poorly. What about Inter? What have they executed not too long ago? Nicely, let’s have a look …
Inter have gained 11 of their final 12 video games in Serie A.
Inter have saved a clear sheet in 5 of their final seven video games in Serie A.
In six of their final eight video games in Serie A, Inter have been capable of construct a lead heading into halftime.
Of their final three Serie A victories, Inter have scored a mixed whole of 13 targets and allowed all of 1.
That could be a crew on kind. It doesn’t matter what they’ve executed in Europe — and, similar to Juventus, they’ve a Champions League play-off spherical matchup to think about in a couple of days, too — they’re completely essentially the most in-form crew in Serie A as of late and there’s no actual alternate contender to try to persuade you in any other case.
Living proof, right here is how the desk appears to be like since Spalletti took over at Juventus:
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Primarily based merely on outcomes from the previous 180 or so minutes of soccer final week, Juventus are in want of a significant bounce again to get again on monitor. With their draw to Lazio and Roma’s win over Cagliari 24 hours later, Juventus now have firm on 46 factors coming into the weekend. Contemplating Roma play a determined Napoli crew, there’s an opportunity for just a little little bit of assist if Juventus had been to get the win at San Siro on Saturday night time.
However that entails Juventus successful — which in opposition to such an in-form like Inter goes to much more sophisticated of a risk as heading to Milan normally is to start with. Then once more, Juve have gained the final two head-to-head matchups in opposition to Inter and might be going for a 3rd this weekend. Three is a development — and that’s one thing that we are able to most actually help if it continues.
TEAM NEWS
In an fascinating twist that may very well be the case for the foreseeable future, Spalletti didn’t maintain a pre-match press convention, with the membership reportedly insisting on the Tuscan supervisor specializing in the sport(s) forward fairly than having to take care of a number of media obligations forward of Saturday’s Derby d’Italia. So, for those who had been hoping to get squad updates in basic Spalletti trend, you’re out of luck.
As a substitute of Spalletti holding a pre-match press convention, Juventus had captain Manuel Locatelli take to the mic and discuss with the media to preview Saturday’s showdown with Inter. As you’ll be able to most likely guess, it’s just a little totally different sort of press convention with Locatelli as in comparison with a supervisor like Spalletti.
With regards to squad information, we do know that Khephren Thuram is immediately a doubt to face Inter after selecting up a bone bruise in coaching on Friday. He might be re-evaluated on Saturday morning previous to the squad’s departure for Milan.
If Thuram is to overlook Saturday’s derby in opposition to his brother’s crew, it’ll possible be Teun Koopmeiners stepping in and beginning alongside Locatelli.
The opposite two damage absences are rather more of a positive factor, with Dusan Vlahovic and Arek Milik (in fact) each undoubtedly out. Vlahovic is, nevertheless, beginning to work his means again to full health at Continassa and may very well be obtainable in early March, in keeping with earlier reviews.
Aside from the troubles about Thuram’s health, the one actual lineup choice that Spalletti appears to be like to have is that if he’ll stick together with his 4-2-3-1 formation or if he’ll swap to a three-man backline to reflect Inter’s 3-5-2. If he does go to a three-man backline, that possible means Weston McKennie begins forward of Francisco Conceição as one of many two attacking midfielders behind Jonathan David.
Simply as was the case final weekend in opposition to Lazio, each Locatelli and Weston McKennie — two essential gamers for Spalletti as of late! — are one yellow card away from having to serve a one-game suspension.
JUVENTUS PLAYER TO WATCH
As a lot as there’s immediately a doubt about one in all Juventus’ most essential midfielders and the comprehensible doubts in regards to the participant who would possible come into the beginning lineup to interchange him, there may be nonetheless a really huge factor to handle in the case of the Bianconeri’s protection.
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It’s the easy incontrovertible fact that Juve’s finest defender has not been taking part in as such the previous few occasions out.
Not precisely what you wish to be listening to when two of the very best strikers in Italy are going to be lining up throughout from you, is it? (No, in no way.) So let’s simply go forward and talk about.
In Juventus’ loss to Atalanta and draw to Lazio, a sure Gleison Bremer hasn’t precisely been all that spectacular. That in of itself is notable as a result of Bremer and his broad shoulders are normally extremely spectacular — and that’s not simply me making an attempt to work in the truth that he’s an extremely good-looking man. He’s superb at his job. Sadly, that hasn’t precisely been the case recently, and that’s one thing that might want to change for the higher if Juventus need an opportunity to assert a second straight win over their most-hated rival.
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But when Bremer’s not at his standard stage, then it may very well be an extended night time.
We all know that Juventus’ protection may be very a lot a distinct unit when Bremer is his standard self. When he isn’t, although, that’s after we’ve seen them look an entire lot like they did final season after his season-ending knee damage. We don’t know what has induced Bremer to wrestle of recently formally, however contemplating he has performed a heavy quantity of minutes since making his comeback in December from his meniscus surgical procedure, it’s fairly simple to attach the dots — particularly whenever you see how compact the schedule was in January and now into February.
The hope, in fact, is that having six days in between Juventus’ draw with Lazio and the journey to the San Siro to face Inter is the factor that Bremer wanted to relaxation up and hopefully fully eliminate these irritating showings in opposition to Atalanta and Lazio. The person wants his relaxation — and particularly so when you think about that he’s barely had a lot time to relaxation ever for the reason that begin of the brand new 12 months.
It doesn’t matter what, although, it’s fairly simple to determine that if Bremer just isn’t at his finest then Juve’s probabilities of beating Inter at San Siro turns into simply that rather more of a harder activity. If he’s the Bremer we all know he will be, nicely then that simply appears to vary issues for the higher whereas different elements of the lineup stay query marks.
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MATCH INFO
When: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026.
The place: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy.
Official kickoff time: 8:45 p.m. native time in Italy and throughout Europe, 7:45 p.m. in the UK, 2:45 p.m. Japanese time, 1:45 p.m. Central time, 11:45 a.m. Pacific time.
HOW TO WATCH
Tv: TLN (Canada); TNT Sports activities 3, TNT Sports activities 7 (United Kingdom); Sky Sport Uno, Sky Sport Calcio, Sky Sport 251 (Italy).
On-line/Streaming: , Amazon Prime USA, DAZN USA, fuboTV (United States); DAZN Canada; fuboTV Canada (Canada); DAZN UK (United Kingdom); DAZN Italy, Sky Go Italia, NOW TV (Italy).
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