Benfica midfielder Renato Sanches will reportedly feature in his last “big” match in Portugal against Sporting before his transfer to Manchester United.

That’s according to Portuguese daily Record (h/t Metro‘s George Bellshaw), who claim Benfica hope to sell the teenager for a club-record fee. The current record is held by Axel Witsel, who moved to Zenit St. Petersburg for a sum of £30.9 million. Per Bellshaw, Benfica are hoping for an additional £15.5 million in add-ons.

The 18-year-old has been linked with a move to Manchester for some time now, and the Daily Mail‘s Simon Jones and Chris Wheeler previously claimed the two clubs held talks in January.

Sanches has been one of the top breakout performers in Portuguese football this season and recently won Benfica’s award for Revelation of 2015, per Jan Hagen of Sport Witness:

The Portuguese midfielder is known for his dribbling ability and athleticism and already displays remarkable vision for such a young player. While he’s still a very raw prospect, his long-term potential is both outstanding and obvious.

Sanches is a willing defender and a solid finisher, but his passing remains a work in progress. He tends to lose focus and can try and force the action too much, but when he keeps things simple and abandons the flashy plays for the solid ones, he looks like a future superstar.

Here are some of his highlights:

United have shown a willingness to spend big on young and relatively inexperienced players in recent years, investing in Anthony Martial and Memphis Depay last summer. The former has shown those kind of investments can pay off immediately, while the latter has largely struggled in his first season at Old Trafford.

Sanches is similar to Martial as far as experience goes, and spending more than £30 million on such a player will always be a major risk. He has been touted as a top talent for years, but right now, he’s still a raw player who may never live up to his potential.

That said, it’s a risk United have to take. If brought along slowly, Sanches could be the answer to United’s questions in midfield for years to come, and with Martial playing in front of him, the duo would give the Red Devils an extremely talented central axis.

Inter in for Kamil Glik

Over to Italy, where Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t talkSPORT) report Inter Milan will offer Torino £8 million for defender Kamil Glik, who has also been linked with United.

According to the report, several clubs are in the running for the Poland international, and Bayer Leverkusen made an enquiry in January. Glik still has four years left on his contract, but after years of playing for relatively small clubs, he may be open to finally securing a big move.

The 28-year-old was a part of Real Madrid‘s setup until 2008 before moving back to his native Poland, and he has been steadily working his way back up the ladder ever since. He has impressed mightily since joining Torino, and per BT Sport’s Adam Summerton, it hasn’t gone unnoticed:

Bayern Munich’s reported interest was likely a result of their wave of injuries in January, and they ended up signing Serdar Tasci from Spartak Moscow.

Like Bayern, United’s defence has been decimated by injuries at times in the 2015-16 campaign, but even when everyone’s healthy, questions remain. Chris Smalling is an automatic starter, but the likes of Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind have been unable to consistently perform, and another star defender would be a welcome addition.

Glik is not a star, but he is a very solid option who will be courted heavily this summer. Here’s a look at his highlights:

Inter’s reported offer of £8 million would be easy to match for United, who would love to add some more depth to their defence. But the Red Devils are more likely to look for a star to pair with Smalling or at least someone with a higher ceiling.

Glik is a fine player, but a move to Inter makes more sense for the Polish defender.

Follow @ReverschPass

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Heading to the second leg holding a 3-0 advantage, it seemed Juventus had one foot firmly in the Coppa Italia final, only to look on as Inter Milan quickly drew level on aggregate. In a dire display, the Bianconeri eventually triumphed 5-3 on penalties in what was an ugly performance against their bitter rivals.

Given that they had beaten the same side comfortably in the league just three days earlier, the drop-off in performance from the Turin giants came as a huge surprise, even allowing for the heavy rotation made to the starting XI by coach Massimiliano Allegri. 

Indeed, the current cup-holders made no fewer than eight changes at San Siro, with Gigi Buffon, Paulo Dybala and Paul Pogba among those dropping to the bench. Underused players such as Neto, Daniele Rugani and Kwadwo Asamoah took to the field instead, each contributing to what was almost an embarrassing exit from the knockout competition. 

An ill-advised pass from the Brazilian goalkeeper saw the Nerazzurri take the lead, although Gary Medel clearly fouled Hernanes in the build-up to it. Asamoah—making just his third start of the campaign—looked off the pace all evening, while Rugani gave away a penalty from which Marcelo Brozovic equalised.

There may have been an air of misfortune to that incident, but captain Leonardo Bonucci was in no mood to make excuses when he spoke to RAI Sport moments after netting the decisive spot-kick (h/t Juventus.com):

We made life very difficult for ourselves. Inter had nothing to lose and threw everything at us from the first minute.

As for us, we approached the match in the wrong manner and as much as I hate to say it, this was one of the worst performances I’ve seen since joining the club. Ultimately, we rode our luck to get to penalties and luckily we put them all away.

While the 28-year-old defender may have overlooked a few displays from the dreadful 2010/11 campaign, this match certainly ranks alongside those desperate pre-Antonio Conte days, and the current boss must shoulder some responsibility for that. 

Just as he had against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, Mr. Allegri opted for what was an overly cautious 4-4-2 formation, a decision that simultaneously handed their opponents the initiative and nullified the best qualities of his own players.

Alex Sandro had less space to make his trademark bursts forward, and Juan Cuadrado also lacked freedom on the opposite flank, but both men improved after a shift in shape during the second half.

Arguably the most creative player in the side, statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com show that only Stephan Lichtsteiner (27) had fewer touches of the ball than Hernanes (27). The Brazilian had looked much-improved in a midfield three recently; he was often overwhelmed with only Stefano Stuaro alongside him in the central area.

Meanwhile, the same source shows that the framework—and the subsequent muted attacking prowess it lent to the side—resulted in the Bianconeri managing just two shots on target and a meagre 40.8 percent possession over the course of 120 minutes. 

It was, of course, expected that they would sit back somewhat given their advantage going into the return match, but the tactical approach removed all semblance of urgency, a rare mistake from a coach who has made very few since arriving in Turin just over 18 months ago.

Thanks to Fiorentina holding Napoli to a draw on Monday night, Juventus are now three points clear at the top of Serie A and once again in the Coppa Italia final, but Max Allegri must avoid repeating this tactical error if he is to help the Old Lady to a second-consecutive league and cup double.

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Juventus arrived at the San Siro on Wednesday on the strength of a 3-0 win over Inter Milan in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final.  All they needed to do was hold that lead.  Score a goal away from home, and they would force Inter to score five.  Given the way Juve dominated Inter in league play at the weekend, Juve were expected to cruise through.

But as the poet Robert Burns said, “The best-laid plans of mice and men go oft awry.”

Massimiliano Allegri got his tactics wrong from the get-go, and Inter took advantage of a questionable call by referee Andrea Gervasoni to get into the game early.  Another early one in the second half breathed real life into the tie, and when Gervasoni pointed to the spot with eight minutes left, Inter completed their improbable comeback to force extra time.

An ill-tempered affair full of yellow cards and cramping legs ended up going to penalties after Pablo Carrizo pulled a fantastic double save against Alvaro Morata in the game’s last 10 seconds.

When the chips went down, the winning mentality fostered at Juve for the last four years finally shone through.  All five of their penalty-takers buried their shots, while Rodrigo Palacio put Inter’s second into the crossbar.  The Nerazzurri protested, but Gervasoni confidently pointed to his watch, assuring them that the San Siro‘s goal-line technology had indicated that the ball did not cross the line.

Let’s take a look at some of the winners and losers in a wild and wacky game.

Begin Slideshow

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For the first time since 2003, AC Milan is headed for the final of the Coppa Italia.

It’s been such a long time since Milan graced the showpiece that their last appearance was in a two-legged affair.  Milan won that final, the last of their five triumphs in this competition, on a 6-3 aggregate score against AS Roma.

On Tuesday, they walked into the San Siro holding a 1-0 lead over Alessandria from the first leg.  The third-tier Grighi had enjoyed a truly charmed run in this tournament.  Four of the six teams they beat to get to this point were in a higher league, including two from Serie A.

But two-legged ties tend to allow the separation in talent between teams to come to the fore, and that’s exactly what ended up happening.  Milan rode a Jeremy Menez brace to a rampant 5-0 win, moving the aggregate to 6-0.

Milan’s run to the final has been tinged with some luck.  Both Fiorentina and Roma were on their side of the bracket, but they were upset by Carpi and Spezia, respectively.  That left Milan with a much easier road.  

However easy the road might be, though, a team still has to seize upon it, and Milan did just that.  For several reasons, reaching the final means Sinisa Mihajlovic can count his first season as head coach as a success.

First and foremost is the chance of winning silverware.  The last time Milan even came close to winning a trophy was the 2011-12 season, when they finished second to Juventus in the league.  Taking one back to Milanello would be a major milestone on the club’s rebuilding project.  

They may go into the game as underdogs, but Milan is probably the second most in-form team after the Bianconeri; if the San Siro side play the game right, they have a chance at winning.

Second, making the final practically guarantees Milan a place in continental competition next year.  The Rossoneri may yet finish in the top five on their own given the run of form they’re on and the nosedive that city rivals Inter Milan have endured since the calendar turned.  But even if they do fail to overtake the Nerazzurri for fifth place, the Coppa provides a fallback.

Unless something incredible happens on Wednesday in the second leg of the other semifinal between Inter and Juventus, the Bianconeri will be Milan’s opponent at the Stadio Olimpico on May 21.

The Turin outfit currently has a three-point lead at the top of the standings having capped off their remarkable comeback from early-season struggles.  

Unless something catastrophic happens, Juve will finish in the top five this year—realistically the top two—meaning that the UEFA Europa League place that goes to the winner of the Coppa will instead go to the runner-up.

Two weeks ago, club president Silvio Berlusconi told Radio Onda Libera (h/t GazzettaWorld) that Milan can still qualify for the UEFA Champions League, but that’s his typically outsized expectations and ego talking.  

His daughter and joint-executive vice-president, Barbara, took a more measured approach in late January when she told a press conference (h/t Football Italia) that Europe’s second competition was the more reasonable goal.

Nothing is more important to Milan’s rebuild than returning to European competition.  While it may not be the hoped-for Champions League place, the Europa League—for all its faults—isn’t a bad substitute, especially for a team like Milan.

Few of the players that have become first-choice at Milan have played extensively in Europe.  A primer course in the Europa League could give them valuable experience.

That experience can be invaluable.  Take Juventus as an example.  After dropping down from the Champions League group stage to the Europa League two years ago, they made a deep run to the semifinal.  That experience was likely invaluable last season when they worked their way to the Champions League final.

It wasn’t the only time Juve used the second tier as a propellant.  In 1993 Giovanni Trapattoni won the UEFA Cup.  Three years later, Marcello Lippi won the Champions League.

Milan can use the Europa League to the same ends.  It isn’t as much money as the Champions League, but it is a revenue stream they currently don’t have—and the opportunity to win the only major trophy the team has never won will add to the club’s prestige.

Silvio Berlusconi may have outsized expectations—in an interview with Alberto Cerrutti of La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t GazzettaWorld) in the run-up to his 30th anniversary at the club he said he wanted to make the Champions League final at least twice in the next five years—Milan is running at a good pace in their rebuilding process.

After two seasons with no European commitments at all, a baby step to the Europa League makes sense for a team whose project really isn’t finished yet.  

Now that Milan has all but guaranteed a place back at the European table—and the chance to take home some silverware—it’s pretty clear that this season has been a successful one.  

Now Milan will need to build on that success in the future.

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For the second time this week, Juventus will take on Inter Milan, travelling the short distance east to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Wednesday evening for the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final.

The San Siro clash comes just three days after the Bianconeri notched a 2-0 league win over the same opponents, a result that was analysed in further detail in this previous post. They also hold a three-goal advantage in this tie, having handily despatched Roberto Mancini’s men in Turin back in January.

Juventus are looking to retain the trophy they won last season, that triumph ending a decade-long drought in the knockout competition.

Leonardo Bonucci was the hero at the weekend as he notched the opening goal of the game, but by the final whistle he was already looking ahead.

“Now we just have to keep marching forward and our heads are already on Wednesday because, despite winning the first leg 3-0, Inter will get off to a strong start,” he told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia). “We, however, will start even stronger.”

Both sides are expected to be heavily rotated from their Serie A meeting, but Felipe Melo—himself a former Juventus player—believes his team-mates must stop talking and begin to take action out on the field.

“No time to cry, we have to shut up and work harder,” he told Inter Channel (h/t SempreInter.com) after Sunday’s defeat, and the Bianconeri must surely expect a strong reaction from their bitter rivals in the next instalment of a fixture commonly referred to as “the derby of Italy.”

The prospect of a final at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico against AC Milan awaits the winner of this tie, an encounter both Juventus and Inter would relish and an occasion which should see the 2015/16 campaign end in the best possible fashion.

Date: Wednesday, 2 March

Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET

Venue: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan

TV Info: Sky Sports 2 (UK), Gol TV (USA)

Live Stream: Sky Go Extra (UK), beIN Sports Connect (USA)

Form Lines

Last five domestic results:

Probable Formations

Inter: (4-3-3): Samir Handanovic; Yuto Nagatomo, Juan Jesus, Gary Medel, Danilo D’ Ambrosio; Assane Demoya Gnoukouri, Felipe Melo, Marcelo Brozovic; Adem Ljajic, Stevan Joveitc, Eder.

Unavailable: Jeison Murillo and Joao Miranda (both suspended).

Juventus (4-3-3): Neto; Simone Padoin, Leonardo Bonucci, Daniele Rugani, Patrice Evra; Stefano Sturaro, Hernanes, Kwadwo Asamoah; Juan Cuadrado, Simone Zaza, Alvaro Morata.

Unavailable: Martin Caceres, Giorgio Chiellini and Claudio Marchisio (all injured).

Odds (via Odds Checker)

Away win: 7-4

Home win: 7-4

Draw: 12-5

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Juventus‘ Leonardo Bonucci has emerged as a key defensive target for Manchester United in the summer transfer window.

According to Rob Pollard in the Manchester Evening News, the Old Trafford hierarchy are prepared to shell out “close to £40 million to lure him to Old Trafford,” but he has also been a long-term target for Chelsea.

United’s defence has made a big improvement this season—they have conceded the second fewest goals in the Premier League—but they are still lacking a consistent centre-back pairing.

Chris Smalling has made a big step up in the current campaign, but his most regular partner, Daley Blind, is playing out of position, and 28-year-old Bonucci would be much more reliable.

Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola recently named the Italian centre-back one of his “all-time favourite players,” a huge testament to his consistent quality, per UEFA. 

He has been a rock in the Juve back line for some time now and has been almost ever-present in the Old Lady’s current Serie A run of eight games without conceding a single goal, per WhoScored.com.

Bonucci also has a knack of scoring spectacular goals, as he did in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Inter Milan, per Eleven SportsNetwork:

And they often prove vital, per Opta:

Despite Smalling’s impressive form this term, United still need a seasoned leader in their defence, and Bonucci would add experience and quality in spades.

Juve will be loath to let him go, but they could well be tempted if the Red Devils are indeed prepared to spend big money on him.

It looks as though United will also have to spend big if they want to tempt Real Madrid into parting with James Rodriguez.

The Colombian has had form and attitude issues aplenty this season, and it has been widely reported that Los Blancos could be prepared to let him go in the summer, with United an interested party, per the Sun.

James was again off form as Real lost to Atletico Madrid at the weekend, prompting Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones to suggest he will now be sold:

However, while Sergio Santos Chozas of AS reported Real “are considering selling” James, 24, in the summer, he added “only an absurd offer would see the 2014 World Cup hero departing the Spanish capital before the start of the 2016/17 campaign.”

The rationale offered for holding onto James is that Real believe manager Zinedine Zidane can get the best out of him, and it would be a huge risk on United’s part to table a massive offer for the playmaker given his current troubles.

Elsewhere, United have been given a slight boost in their reported pursuit of Athletic Bilbao centre-back Aymeric Laporte. Sky Sports Spanish football expert Guillem Balague believes Barcelona may not have the money to enter the race for the Frenchman this summer, meaning one fewer major club for the Red Devils to compete against. 

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Arsenal are yet to make any concrete bid for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka after his agent revealed the Germans haven’t received any offers. Plus, the Gunners are reportedly eyeing Juventus youngster Moise Bioty Kean.

Gladbach sporting director Max Eberl reportedly told Swiss newspapers this week that the club still haven’t seen any genuine moves for their man despite heavy speculation, per the Liverpool Echo‘s Joe Rimmer: “There have been claims that Inter Milan and all these English clubs are interested (in Xhaka). But we’ve not received a single offer.”

Gunners fans can afford to take Eberl’s comments as both a positive and a negative, perhaps disappointed their club hasn’t taken any initiative in the hunt but also pleased Europe’s other giants remain quiet, too.

Metro‘s Sean Kearns reported of Arsenal’s interest in the Switzerland international during the January transfer window, at which point the midfielder admitted his interest in a move to England, per German outlet DW Sports:

The Borussia Monchengladbach captain moved to Stadion im Borussia-Park in 2012 and has gone on to establish himself as a leader of the team, not to mention a useful box-to-box asset for the Foals.

Xhaka may also be considered a good fit for Arsenal considering the north Londoners could see veterans Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky and Mathieu Flamini all leave the club when their contracts expire this summer.

Those departures would leave a considerable void in the engine room, and despite the acquisition of Basel midfield Mohamed Elneny this past winter, Arsenal may yet deem it necessary to make further additions.

Xhaka also has ties to Swiss giants Basel and won two Super League titles with the club before leaving for Germany four years ago.

The chances of Arsenal landing Juventus teenager Kean appear much brighter, and Bruce Archer of the Daily Express reported Manchester United will challenge their English rivals for the forward’s signature.

The Bianconeri are ready to foil any Premier League interest in the 16-year-old, however, after Italian website Gazzetta World claimed super-agent Mino Raiola has secured Kean a three-year contract in Turin (h/t Metro‘s George Bellshaw). Italy’s official Twitter account posted footage of the striker scoring against Spain under-17s in January:

Raiola—the same agent who represents Mario Balotelli—is one of the most prominent representatives in European football, and his hand may mean Juve may have ended Arsenal’s interest in the player before it’s barely begun.

Kean has scored 17 goals in 17 games for Juventus’ under-17 side this season and boasts a record of two goals in three appearances for Italy’s under-17s, showcasing the kind of prolific numbers Juve will want to hang onto.

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Real Madrid may have to get a move on if they want to sign Alvaro Morata back from Juventus, after it was revealed the summer of 2017 is the deadline for them to activate their buy-back clause.

Details of the forward’s contract have come to light via the Football Leaks website (h/t Ewan Roberts of Goal) as of late. In the document, various details are confirmed, including that Juve paid £15.7 million to sign Morata in 2014 and that if Los Blancos want him back, they’ll have to make a decision soon on whether to trigger the £23.5 million fee.

Here is a look at some of the Spaniard’s best moments at Juventus, where he has improved massively as a player:

Roberts outlines further details of what looks to be a pretty complex agreement between these two giants of European football:

If Morata only plays between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of matches, the fee drops to €25 million, and if he plays less than 25 per cent of official matches for Juve, then Madrid would only need to pay the €20 million they originally sold him for.

Incredibly, if Juve decide to sell Morata to another club before July 2017, they would have to compensate Madrid to the tune of €80 million (£62.9 million), which makes it highly unlikely that the 23-year-old will leave J-Stadium for any team other than Madrid over the next 18 months.

As we can see here, courtesy of WhoScored.com, after a difficult season Morata has rediscovered some of his best form in recent weeks, netting against rivals Inter Milan on Sunday:

Although things can change quickly in football, it’d be a big surprise to see Morata back in the all-white jersey again soon. While he has made significant strides as a footballer, he’s still not to the level required to oust the likes of Karim Benzema or Cristiano Ronaldo; he’ll surely prefer to remain with the Italian champions and get regular minutes.

Feasibly, Real could pay the money and look to sell Morata on. But having already made a significant career move at such an early age, the 23-year-old will surely understand that staying at Juventus, continuing to develop and, crucially, getting consistent football is the most logical decision at this juncture.

Jose Mourinho Wants Raphael Varane

According to Sport (h/t Alex Harris of the Daily Star), Jose Mourinho has already drawn up a shortlist of five defenders he would like to sign in the summer should he take over at Manchester United, and Real Madrid man Raphael Varane is one.

The piece states that Athletic Club’s Aymeric Laporte and Everton’s John Stones are two other young defenders the Portuguese is looking at, as well as Marc Bartra at Barcelona and Marquinhos from Paris Saint-Germain. Varane is also noted and would surely be the most difficult of all these deals to pull off.

Here’s a reminder of why Varane is rated as one of the game’s most exciting prospects and why Los Blancos would be extremely reluctant to sell him:

Varane has got the lot for a modern-day centre-back. The Frenchman is dynamic, an excellent reader of the game and unflappable in possession. At only 22, he is still prone to a few lapses, but it’s inevitable he’ll improve, and provided he continues developing, he will become the best defender in the world.

Ed Malyon of the Daily Mirror noted that while Varane has struggled at times this term, he’s still performing well overall:

In previous seasons, when the Frenchman found himself behind Pepe and Sergio Ramos in the pecking order at centre-back, there may have been a slender chance of United getting a deal for Varane done. However, with the youngster establishing himself as the club’s premier defender, surely it’d be a waste of time for United to even consider a deal.

Granted, Mourinho did help nurture Varane’s precocious talent during his time as Los Blancos boss. But even with the Portuguese’s allure and United’s financial clout, Real simply won’t sell a player so vital to their future.

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Having been held to disappointing draws by both Bologna and Bayern Munich, Juventus were looking to return to winning ways as Inter Milan visited Turin on Sunday evening. They would do just that, emerging triumphant thanks to a 2-0 scoreline that extended their lead at the top of the Serie A standings to four points.

While their closest rivals Napoli take on Fiorentina on Monday, the Bianconeri will gain much confidence from this latest victory over Roberto Mancini’s side. It marked a remarkable eighth consecutive clean sheet for the Turin giants, with goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon making a number of key saves as the full-time whistle approached.

However, perhaps no player will take a more positive feeling away from this game than Alvaro Morata, the Spanish striker getting his name on the score sheet with an 84th-minute penalty that secured three points for Juventus.

It was his first goal in six appearances, his last coming back in a January encounter with Chievo and ending a barren run of over 300 minutes of action, with boss Massimiliano Allegri clearly pleased with his impact.

“We’re making a very good habit of seeing our substitutes come off the bench and swing matches in our favour and tonight was no different,” the coach told reporters at the post-match press conference, with Morata having also notched a key assist in the Champions League draw with Bayern Munich.

The Madrid native will have enjoyed his brief cameo, with the Nerazzurri emerging as one of his favourite targets—his spot-kick here adding to a brace against the same opponents in the Coppa Italia last month.

Morata also won Sunday’s penalty, turning inside Joao Miranda and leaving the Brazilian defender with little choice but to haul him down in the box. Comfortably beating Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic from 12 yards, Juventus will hope that the goal finally sees their striker back to the devastating form of last season.

Indeed, arguably no player had the impact the 23-year-old managed on the Old Lady’s 2014/15 campaign, a season which saw him net goals in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Looking forward, it will be key for Allegri to have Morata thriving before the return leg of the European heavyweight clash Bayern, with his pace and direct approach an essential ingredient in Juve’s counter-attack.

It is something the club’s other forward’s perhaps lack; both Mario Mandzukic and Simone Zaza offer a more traditional target man, while Paulo Dybla remains a wonderful conduit between midfield and attack.

With Pep Guardiola’s German champions holding the away-goal advantage, they may look to negate the space they afford the Bianconeri, a factor Morata could well prove to be the perfect antidote for should he now push on to his best form.

“I realise a striker gets sad when he doesn’t score goals, I understand that, but it’s not as if Morata lost all his talent in a couple of months,” Allegri told RAI Sport (h/t Football Italia) last month, but another goal should see a much happier striker in the coming weeks.

That confidence—as well as his incisiveness—has regularly proved to be key in the past, and all concerned will hope that will be the case once again for a player who believes the mental toll he endures is part of life at one of the continent’s biggest clubs.

“Am I feeling the pressure when I don’t score?” Morata pondered in a recent interview with Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia). “No, anyone who feels the pressure should not be at Juventus.”

Overcoming that is likely to be essential to Juve’s on-going success, and for that, the team needs Morata taking on defenders and scoring goals, just as he did against Inter.

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Having maintained their narrow advantage at the top of the Serie A table last week, Juventus took on Inter Milan knowing they had a chance to pull even further ahead of closest challengers Napoli.

They would do just that, netting both goals in a match which struggled to match the intensity seen in their more recent meeting, but the Bianconeri will be happy to return to winning ways after being held to draws by Bologna and Bayern Munich.

This of course marked the latest instalment of a fixture known as the “Derby of Italy” and Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri told reporters at his traditional pre-match press conference that recent results would matter little when the game got underway.

“It will be a tough game against a very physical outfit. They’ve had a great start to the season and haven’t lost any of their qualities,” the coach said. “The league table won’t matter tomorrow. For us it represents the first of three remaining games against our nearest rivals.”

Goals from Leonardo Bonucci and Alvaro Morata handed them the victory, and what follows is a look at the winners and losers from the game, highlighting the best and worst performances from the Serie A clash.

Begin Slideshow

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