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The match at San Siro is in the top two of Serie A last season, when Juventus won their ninth consecutive league title just one point ahead of Inter.
It also pits the top two scorers in the division against each other. Ronaldo has 15 goals; Lukaku is 12.
Both teams are favorites this season with Inter second, three points behind leaders AC Milan, with Juventus fourth, seven points behind first place with one game less.
As Antonio Conte’s Inter and Andrea Pirlo’s Juve square off, Milan have a chance to increase their lead midway this season as they travel to struggling Cagliari.
Juventus, Inter and Milan are coming off grueling Italian Cup matches during the week, and need 120 minutes of play each to advance to the quarter-finals.
Conte brushed aside concerns ahead of a game that could determine his team’s chances of clinching their first Serie A title since 2010.
“Every victory gives you pure energy, victories recharge your batteries,” insisted the former Juventus and Chelsea manager.
“We have time to recover before Sunday’s game, which is an important test to determine the level we are at and to see to what extent we have reduced the gap compared to last season.”
Inter are now focused on national trophies with their stifled European ambitions.
After an eight-game winning streak, the Lombards have lost momentum, losing five points from two games with a loss to Sampdoria and drawing against Roma.
Inter have not beaten Juventus since September 2016, with a streak of five losses and two draws.
By contrast, after a stuttering debut, Pirlo’s champions have come back with three wins in a row, including 3-1 over AC Milan at the San Siro a week ago.
The clash is between a team with the best attack in the league, with Inter scoring 43 goals, against which it has the tightest defense with 16 conceded goals.
Friday’s Rome derby kicks off the soccer weekend behind closed doors, with Roma in third place looking to win again after last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Inter against local rivals Lazio, in eighth place .
Atalanta and Napoli, two points behind Juventus, in the European places, host Genoa and Fiorentina respectively.
One to watch: Lorenzo Pellegrini
AS Roma midfielder Pellegrini will be the only Roma-born player for either team on the city’s derby field. The 24-year-old Italian international went through Roma’s youth system and has scored 13 goals in 127 games. Pellegrini was decisive the last time Roma beat Lazio in September 2018, scoring and setting up another in the 3-1 victory. “Pellegrini embodies our project,” said new Roma general manager Tiago Pinto. “He is a young, talented player with great love for Roma. We will do everything possible to negotiate his (contract) renewal.”
Key stats:
43 – Inter are the league’s top scorer
16 – Juventus have one of the tightest defenses
11 – Ciro Immobile’s goals for Lazio
10 – Cagliari’s winless streak
7 – Inter’s winless streak against Juventus
Matches (all GMT times)
Friday
Lazio v Rome (1845)
Saturday
Bologna against Hellas Verona (1300), Turin against Spezia (1600). Sampdoria v Udinese (1845)
Sunday
Napoli v Fiorentina (1030), Crotone v Benevento, Sassuolo v Parma (both (1300), Atalanta v Genoa (1600), Inter Milan v Juventus (1845)
Monday
Cagliari – AC Milan (1845)
ea / dj
