Just days after hosting a huge Champions League clash against Bayern Munich, Juventus Stadium will be the venue for the latest instalment of the Derby d’Italia as Inter Milan visit Turin. The Bianconeri return to domestic action following that tough encounter with the Bavarian giants, perhaps taking a major confidence boost from the manner of their second-half fightback.

Indeed—as discussed in this previous post—coach Massimiliano Allegri’s men were thoroughly outplayed for the opening 45 minutes but managed to peg back their opponents with goals from Paulo Dybala and Stefano Sturaro.

Unfortunately, the match also saw Claudio Marchisio pick up an injury, and Juve’s official website reports the midfielder will miss seven days of action. That rules him out of the meeting with Inter, while the Italian champions expect to see Alex Sandro and Giorgio Chiellini return after knocks of their own.

A draw with Bologna last week ended Juve’s club record winning streak at 15 games, but they now take on an opponent that has picked up just four victories in 2016. After losing to the Bianconeri in the Coppa Italia last month, coach Roberto Mancini saw his side collect only seven points from their next five matches.

They did comfortably see off Sampdoria in their last outing, however, and will be further boosted by a reduction in Geoffrey Kondogbia’s suspension. Initially banned for two games for sarcastically applauding the referee in the defeat to Fiorentina, the league (h/t Football Italia) announced this week that his punishment was halved on appeal.

He will therefore be available to take on Juventus, and Inter will hope that boosts their chances against an opponent the Nerazzurri have not beaten away from home since November 2012.

Date: Sunday, February 28, 2016

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

Venue: Juventus Stadium, Turin

TV Info: BT Sport Europe (UK), beIN Sports 1 (USA)

Live Stream: BT Connect (UK)

Form Lines

Last five domestic results:

Probable Formations

Juventus (3-5-2): Gigi Buffon; Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini; Stephan Lichtsteiner, Sami Khedira, Hernanes, Paul Pogba, Alex Sandro; Mario Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala

Unavailable: Kwadwo Asamoah, Martin Caceres and Claudio Marchisio (all injured)

Inter: (4-4-2): Samir Handanovic; Yuto Nagatomo, Jeison Murillo, Joao Miranda, Danilo D’ Ambrosio; Jonathan Biabiany, Gary Medel, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Ivan Perisic; Eder, Mauro Icardi

Unavailable: Marcelo Brozovic (suspended)

Key Battle

Perhaps the biggest problem for Inter this season has been scoring goals, with no fewer than six teams having netted more than their current tally of 34. While they have struggled to create opportunities, there is no doubting the fact that Mauro Icardi remains one of the division’s deadliest strikers.

Indeed, despite living on scant service, the 23-year-old has netted 11 league goals and insisted in a recent interview with InterNos that he has no desire to leave the club despite regularly being mentioned in transfer rumours.

“I’ve had a few offers but I want to stay here and lift trophies with this club,” Icardi said (h/t Inter.it). “I’m the captain and I want to achieve great things with Inter. I’ve always shouldered my responsibility ever since I joined the club and I think the fans appreciate that.”

He also spoke of the need to win against the Bianconeri, a team he has scored against at an impressive rate thus far in his career. With six goals in seven appearances vs. Juventus, defender Leonardo Bonucci will need to be at his best in order to slow down the remarkable prowess of Icardi.

Player to Watch

While the Turin side will be closely monitoring Icardi, it may well be that one of his former team-mates is the man to watch during this encounter. Indeed, that aforementioned injury to Marchisio means Hernanes is likely to be handed a start against the Nerazzurri, the club he left back in August.

Moving to Juventus on transfer deadline day, the 30-year-old has struggled to have a positive impact and has made just 10 league starts under Allegri’s guidance. Failing to register a goal or an assist, his best performance for the club arguably came against Bayern Munich earlier this week.

Entering the game as a second-half substitute, Hernanes was an important factor in Juve’s second-half fightback as he added some attacking quality to the midfield, much to his own surprise.

“All along I knew the moment would come when I could show my qualities so while I wasn’t expecting it to arrive on Tuesday night, I think I responded well to the challenge,” he told JTV (h/t Juventus.com).

The Bianconeri will hope he can continue in the same vein when he faces Inter, with a win vital as they hope to maintain their advantage over Napoli at the top of the Serie A standings.

Odds (via Odds Shark)

Away win: 23-4

Home win: 100-167

Draw: 13-5

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Arsenal are reportedly poised to sign Marcelo Brozovic in the summer, with Inter Milan said to be keen on offloading the Croatia international.

According to Tuttosport (h/t Marc Williams of the Daily Star) the Nerazzurri are obliged to sign the midfielder at the end of a one-and-a-half-year loan deal from Dinamo Zagreb, which finishes at the end of the season. However, it’s suggested they want to “sacrifice” the midfielder immediately, with the Gunners touted as potential suitors.

Tuttosport had also reportedly claimed that Inter director Pietro Ausilio will fly to London this week to stage talks over a possible switch, per Liam Corless of the Daily Mirror.

Brozovic is a talented and versatile footballer. Here is a look at some of his best moments in an Inter shirt so far:

There is a lot to like about the 23-year-old. On the ball, at times he boasts an elegance not too dissimilar to that possessed by compatriots Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic.

Indeed, Brozovic is a fine technician, capable of taking the ball in tight areas and holding off defenders. When given time he’s a major threat too, whether committing opponents with his clever dribbling or firing incisive passes into the path of forward players. To cap it off, he’s a hard worker too, willing to get back and contribute defensively.

It makes Inter’s supposed willingness to cash in peculiar. Granted, Brozovic does still need to add consistency to his game, but the Nerazzurri have badly lacked a creative spark in midfield this term, something you’d anticipate a player with the Croatian’s guile can provide in the long term.

As Jack Rathborn of uMAXit Football noted earlier in the season, the Italian press have had some pretty heady praise for the midfielder:

If they do decide to move him on, then Arsenal could well benefit. As aforementioned, Brozovic is a player who can thrive in a technically based setup and alongside players who are similarly proficient with the ball at their feet he could definitely take his game on to another level.

Admittedly, the Gunners are currently well stocked in midfield and have some very gifted ball players in the team. But according to Sami Mokbel of the MailOnline, Arsenal are set to lose three of their options in this position, with Mathieu Flamini, Tomas Rosicky and Mikel Arteta all apparently on course for summer exits.

“Arsenal are committed to revamping their central midfield options this summer,” claimed Mokbel in the piece, suggesting Flamini, despite playing regularly this term, will not be handed a new contract at the Emirates Stadium. It’s suggested the January capture of Mohamed Elneny is the start of a midfield rebuilding job and that “at least one” big name option will join in the summer.

Flamini was subject to heavy criticism in midweek as he gave away a penalty against Barcelona just 47 seconds after entering the game from the bench.

As Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones noted, it seems as though Arsenal fans have lost faith in the Frenchman:

While Flamini, Rosicky and Arteta are all popular figures at the Emirates Stadium, should Wenger cast a ruthless eye over his squad he’ll see three players who are past their best and no longer good enough. Some fresher, younger legs in midfield would be a big lift to this team too, given they can often be outmuscled and outrun in this area of the pitch.

A player like Brozovic, who is young, talented and adaptable, may well be an ideal acquisition if Arsenal are looking to reshape their choices in the middle of the pitch. However, given he’s not yet a permanent Inter player, any deal will surely be complicated and subsequently, is still a long way off.

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Jose Mourinho has heralded Chelsea legend Frank Lampard as the “best player in the Premier League for one decade.”

The Portuguese worked with Lampard twice as Chelsea manager, during his first spell between 2004 and 2007 then again when he returned to Stamford Bridge in 2013/14.

In total, the former England midfielder made 609 appearances and scored 177 goals in the league across spells with West Ham United, Chelsea and Manchester City. 

And despite having managed stars at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Real Madrid and Inter Milan, it is Lampard Mourinho holds the highest.

“At Chelsea, in my first period, I had Frank Lampard, probably the best player in the Premier League for one decade,” he told the Straits Times (via Football365).

But Mourinho also had praise for a number of the other great players he has worked with:

I went to Inter [Milan], I had [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, I got [Javier] Zanetti I got to Madrid, I had [Cristiano] Ronaldo. I come back to Chelsea and I find other top players.

I have so many, they gave me so much, it’s not fair to say this is the one. It’s impossible to win so many things without the players so I respect all of them.

[h/t Football365]

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Juventus fought from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Bayern Munich in their Champions League round-of-16 first leg on Tuesday, where Paulo Dybala and Stefano Sturaro scored to cancel out goals from Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben.

Pep Guardiola’s side controlled the tempo of the fixture early on, but a second-half fightback saw Juve produce a spirited response, something they’ll hope to see more of in Bavaria.

Substitute Sturaro grabbed a second for Juve after Dybala capitalised on a defensive error to register the hosts’ first, and Bayern will rue this as a result let slip from their grasp after looking so confident.

Eurosport helped illustrate just how impressive Juve’s resurrection was, shoving their way back into a match that at one point looked far out of their reach:

Joshua Kimmich and David Alaba continued in central defence for Bayern in the absence of Jerome Boateng, Holger Badstuber and Javi Martinez, while Juve were forced to make do without star defender Giorgio Chiellini.

The Bianconeri aren’t without their stars, of course, but Bleacher Report’s Adam Digby noted how Paul Pogba was being prevented from gathering a head of steam and getting the home outfit into the fixture:

It paid dividends, too, as the possession meter soared in favour of the German guests, and the shot count also began to run away with the visiting party.

After a series of denied chances, it was almost poetic that Robben, Douglas Costa and Robert Lewandowski were each involved in the build-up to Muller’s opener just before half-time.

Robben’s cross from the right byline found Costa, whose deflected pass back across Gianluigi Buffon’s net eventually found its way to a lurking Muller, who passed the ball beyond two defenders to finally put Bayern ahead.

Muller still had a lot of work to do in finding the back of the net, and Bayern entered the half-time interval in much brighter spirits, which DW Sports’ Ross Dunbar agreed was fully deserved:

Juventus started the second half in similar fashion to how they ended the first, and a slip from Leonardo Bonucci allowed Lewandowski the space to tee up Robben on the right flank.

Juve felt their defender was fouled in the build-up, but Robben didn’t take a second thought as he rasped home a trademark finish, per BT Sport, cutting onto his left before hammering a second past Buffon:

A hasty response was needed if the Bianconeri were to have any chance of a quarter-final future, and it was an untimely mistake from youngster Kimmich that gave the hosts precisely the opening they needed.

Kimmich stumbled in an attempt to steady the ball, and Mario Mandzukic laid a simple pass for Dybala to half the deficit, netting his first goal in European competition. WhoScored.com detailed his healthy contributions for Juve of late:

Massimiliano Allegri rang the changes and brought on Sturaro in place of Sami Khedira before Alvaro Morata replaced goalscorer Dybala. Of those two, the Spaniard might appear the more likely offensive impact, but it came to be Sturaro who landed Juve’s next blow.

The two substitutes combined, and Sturaro lunged to get on the end of Morata’s header across the face of goal, toeing the ball into the roof of Manuel Neuer’s net from close range. Stefan Bienkowski of DW Sports expected Guardiola to be “furious” with the second-half display:

It wasn’t only true that Bayern no longer looked as threatening, but a more assured presence on the ball had given the Bianconeri a much more polished look.

Bayern’s second half was summed up by the fact their first corner of the period didn’t come until the 89th minute, a statement to Juve’s renewed resilience, as illustrated by Gianluca Di Marzio reporter David Amoyal:

The two teams continued to exchange blows until the last, and despite Bayern’s late attempts to make up for letting the lead slip, an absorbing first-leg encounter finished at two goals apiece.

Juventus are scheduled to make the return trip to the Allianz Arena on March 16, and Allegri’s side have no time for respite as they prepare to play host to Inter Milan this coming Saturday.

Meanwhile, Bayern have a tricky task of their own and will travel to face Wolfsburg on Friday evening in a bid to keep their place atop the Bundesliga.

Last season’s Champions League finalists did terrifically to complete their revival and earn a draw on Tuesday, but conceding two away goals could come back to bite Juventus as they look for the win in Germany.

Post-Match Reaction

Bayern could afford to be disheartened with the manner in which they threw away a two-goal lead in Turin, making the return leg that much more difficult than it might have been.

Per German outlet DW Sports, Guardiola insisted his side “played very well for 90 minutes,” as opposed to the 60 minutes many were suggesting, before hailing the quality of his opponents:

Goalscorer Robben was also eager to look on the bright side in his post-match comments and described the 2-2 scoreline as a “good position” for his side, per Bayern Munich’s official Twitter account:

Dybala also got on the scoresheet and praised his Juventus team-mates for their never-say-die attitude:

Fans can only hope to see the same amount of drama in next month’s return leg, with Guardiola hoping to advance his European journey with Bayern before he leaves for Manchester City this summer.

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Arsenal could be set to agree a deal for Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, with the Italian club’s director Pietro Ausilio reportedly due to fly out to London to discuss a possible £15.6 million transfer with the Gunners.

That’s according to Tuttosport‘s Giovanni Capuano (h/t Metro‘s Jamie Sanderson), who reports Ausilio will hold talks with Arsenal “this week”:

The Croatian is only on loan at the San Siro from Dinamo Zagreb, but per Sanderson, the Serie A outfit “have an option to make the transfer permanent before then selling him on,” which is a “big priority” as they “want to raise money to fund their own business.”

Brozovic has established himself as an important player for Inter this season, scoring four goals and assisting two in 22 appearances.

WhoScored.com’s Cristiano Acconci is an admirer of the 23-year-old and hailed his impact on the side:

The midfielder recently capped off an excellent performance against Fiorentina with a goal, per BT Sport Football:

Here are some of his other highlights:

As the video demonstrates, he is not only lethal from distance when cutting inside onto his right foot, but he is also a strong passer and dribbler of the ball.

According to Squawka, the midfielder has also made 25 interceptions and as many tackles in 20 Serie A showings this season, which illustrates his willingness to help out his defence.

The Gunners already have plenty of central midfield options, with the likes of Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Mohamed Elneny and Francis Coquelin among those vying for places when fit.

However, with Mathieu Flamini failing to inspire, players such as soon-to-be 34-year-old Mikel Arteta and 35-year-old Tomas Rosicky firmly nearing the end of their careers and injuries proving a problem for Jack Wilshere in particular, the Gunners could do with further fresh blood in their squad.

Should any depart the Emirates Stadium in the summer, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger may well be tempted to recruit another midfielder, and Brozovic would be a strong candidate.

In other news, Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has revealed he once shared dinner with Wenger way back in 1998 during his time at Parma. Per Metro‘s Tom Olver, the 38-year-old told BT Sport about approaches made to him from Premier League clubs.

Buffon has gone on to make almost 600 Serie A appearances for Parma and the Bianconeri, as well as earn 154 caps for Italy—with whom he won the World Cup in 2006—and was recently voted the best ‘keeper of all time by readers of France Football (h/t Football Italia).

The Gunners can now call on Petr Cech between the sticks after snapping him up in the summer, but they undoubtedly could have used the Italian after struggling for years to find a No. 1 who could adequately replace David Seaman and Jens Lehmann.

Buffon recently announced he will retire from the sport after the 2018 FIFA World Cup and will likely add to his impressive haul of silverware before hanging up his boots as he continues to challenge for trophies with Juventus.

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Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho reportedly wants to sign Inter Milan players Joao Miranda and striker Mauro Icardi if he’s named Manchester United manager this summer.

Mourinho was at Inter’s recent 3-1 Serie A win over Sampdoria and was said to be impressed by the pair, per Italian source Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Metro‘s George Bellshaw). The reports claim Mourinho and United wouldn’t be put off by the hefty fees needed to sign both players:

It’s perhaps no surprise that he’s encouraged to sign the duo as they both found the back of the net.

United would have to pay more than £30million to land Icardi while Inter would hope to recoup the majority of the £9.2m they forked out on Miranda last summer.

But with United’s financial might, Mourinho will hope to persuade both players to move to Old Trafford.

Reports of Mourinho moving to Old Trafford to succeed current manager Louis van Gaal have gathered pace since the ex-Chelsea gaffer’s recent trip to Italy.

Inter director Bedy Moratti, sister of one-time club president Massimo Moratti, appeared to confirm Mourinho‘s next job to reporters, according to Sky Sports‘ Paul Vinnell: “He’s missed as a person, but right now he’s happy, he’s going to Manchester.”

In the context of these comments, as well as Mourinho‘s attendance at the San Siro, reports of links between Mourinho and Inter players may seem a little convenient. Yet, both Miranda and Icardi make sense as United targets.

On Friday, Italian source La Stampa (h/t Metro writer Bellshaw) reported Mourinho‘s trip to Milan was a scouting mission.

Any potential United manager will know how much the current squad needs a commanding centre-back and a prolific striker. The Red Devils have scored just 33 times in England’s top flight this season, per the league’s official site.

An over-reliance on 30-year-old Wayne Rooney, who is far from the player he was, remains a problem. That’s where a natural finisher like Icardi can make a difference. There’s a coolness about the Argentinian No. 9 whenever he gets a chance.

Style doesn’t define Miranda, but he’s the smart and aggressive defender every top Premier League club needs. The combative Brazilian won a Spanish league title with Atletico Madrid and remains a force in the air.

United have missed a player of that type since Nemanja Vidic left the club, even though Chris Smalling has developed well. But Smalling’s progress can’t mask the fragility in United’s defence this season.

Mourinho has always built his teams on a rugged and miserly foundation at the back. Partnering Smalling with Miranda would be an excellent start to constructing the right base at United.

Of course, any transfer rumours regarding Mourinho have to be considered shaky until the ex-Chelsea chief actually signs on the dotted line to officially become United’s next manager.

But if that happens, he’ll struggle to find more suitable players to start his Old Trafford rebuild than Miranda and Icardi.

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Inter Milan director Bedy Moratti has claimed Jose Mourinho will be the next Manchester United manager.

The sister of former Inter director Massimo Moratti had dinner with Mourinho and his family and afterwards told Calcio Mercato (h/t Daily Mirror‘s Hamish Mackay) the Special One has already agreed to join the Red Devils.

When asked if he might return to Inter, she said: “No, he’s happy now, he’s going to Manchester.”

Per Football Italia, the slip was caught on camera. Mourinho is in Milan to cheer on his former club when they take on Sampdoria on Saturday.   

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Inter Milan director Bedy Moratti has claimed Jose Mourinho will be the next Manchester United manager.

The sister of former Inter director Massimo Moratti had dinner with Mourinho and his family and afterwards told Calcio Mercato (h/t Daily Mirror‘s Hamish Mackay) the Special One has already agreed to join the Red Devils.

When asked if he might return to Inter, she said: “No, he’s happy now, he’s going to Manchester.”

Per Football Italia, the slip was caught on camera. Mourinho is in Milan to cheer on his former club when they take on Sampdoria in Saturday.   

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Ex-Brazil and Real Madrid striker Ronaldo has heaped praise on 24-year-old Barcelona superstar Neymar.

The 39-year-old, who also played for Barcelona and Inter Milan, said his compatriot reminded him of himself.

“I like Neymar a lot. He is a bit like me,” he told Calciomercato (via Goal.com). “He had some difficulties in getting used to his new environment at first, but I knew that he was going to succeed.”

Ronaldo anticipates Neymar to be the successor to five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi at Camp Nou.

“Can he be Messi‘s heir? Yes, he has everything he needs to become as strong as him.”

Ronaldo also spoke about the fortunes of his old club Madrid, who are now managed by his former team-mate Zinedine Zidane.

“Everybody knows that Zizou is a great friend,” he said. “I really hope that he will have a great career as a coach too. He’s the best player with whom I have ever played with. We had a lot of fun on the pitch.”

He’s expecting big things from Los Blancos under the legendary Frenchman.

“Could this be Real Madrid’s year? Yes, they must focus on the Champions League, they have everything to succeed,” he insisted. “Winning at Roma was very important for Zidane.”

The La Liga giants are both in action this weekend, with Barcelona travelling to Las Palmas on Saturday afternoon and Real Madrid visiting Malaga on Sunday.

[Goal.com]

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Mario Balotelli will reportedly never play for Liverpool again, as Reds manager Jurgen Klopp is said to have no interest in reintegrating the forward into his squad.

Continue for updates.

Balotelli’s Liverpool Career Reportedly Over

Friday, Feb. 19

Former manager Brendan Rodgers sent the Italian out on loan to AC Milan this season, and it seems as though Balotelli’s chances of playing regular football at Anfield are no better under the German, with James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo reporting that his career on Merseyside is finished:

A lucrative move to the Chinese Super League is a serious possibility for Balotelli with clubs in the Far East having already enquired about securing a deal for the 25-year-old. There has also been interest from Turkey with Liverpool hopeful of recouping most of the £16million they paid Milan for his signature in August 2014.

Pearce added that Klopp is “not interested in taking on a striker who is ill suited to the kind of high-intensity football the Reds boss is looking to install.”

Andy Hunter of the Guardian also claimed Balotelli’s agent, Mino Raiola, is already seeking out clubs in China and Turkey regarding a possible move next season.

While Balotelli scored just one Premier League goal in his first season at Liverpool and has been injured for much of his loan term with the Rossoneri, a fine player is in there somewhere. But with his Liverpool career set to end in the summer, the Italian will face a fourth sale from an elite European club, having already been moved on by Inter Milan, Manchester City and AC Milan.

The future once looked bright for the unique footballer, but it seems inevitable that he will fall short of the standards many expected him to reach.

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