Juventus vs Inter: Prediction, Betting Tips and Match Preview

Once again failing to overcome Milan, Christian Chivu’s men now face another fierce rival. In recent years, friendly meetings between Juventus and Inter have traditionally been held behind closed doors, and most have not been high-scoring affairs. In fact, three of the last four such sparring matches ended with the identical scoreline of 1:1 in regular time.

Juventus’ Defensive Solidity

Despite a disappointing end to last season and missing out on the Champions League, Luciano Spalletti kept his job at Juventus. And judging by the preseason friendlies, the club’s management made the right call. La Vecchia Signora has already played four warm-up matches and remains unbeaten: wins over Chelsea (1:0), Nice (2:0), and Standard Liège (1:0), plus a draw with Basel (0:0).

Spalletti appears to be building his upcoming campaign on defensive strength. The opponents Turin faced this summer were solid European mid-table sides and an English top club, yet they have not conceded a single goal. The Bianconeri’s backline will become even stronger with the return of Gleison Bremer to the starting XI as he regains fitness after his break, and the arrival of a new goalkeeper (the main candidate is Zion Suzuki from Parma). However, in attack, Juventus still lack creativity—their only goal against Chelsea came from a long-range strike.

The nominal hosts have signed four new players in the current transfer window, but only Zeki Celik has made an impact so far, performing excellently on the left side of defense. Young forward Jeff Ekhator picked up an injury in the very first friendly against Basel, while Kerim Alajbegovic and Randal Kolo Muani only recently joined the squad and are expected to make their debuts in the upcoming match against Inter, hopefully boosting Juventus’ attacking play.

Inter’s Struggles Against Top Sides

Inter are preparing to defend their Serie A title and aim for a better Champions League campaign than last season (eliminated in the Round of 16 by Bodo/Glimt). However, while they won their first two friendlies against lower-tier German sides—Aasen (16:0) and Karlsruhe (2:1)—matches against other top clubs proved more difficult. Regular time in clashes with Manchester City and Milan both ended 1:1.

Nevertheless, the Nerazzurri beat the English side on penalties. In the derby against the Rossoneri, they had a clear advantage and created more dangerous chances (2.35 vs 1.38 xG), conceding only from a highly controversial penalty. Not only the established leaders performed well, but also young forward Matteo Lavelli, who received plenty of playing time and was actively involved in the only goal scored. The only problem area at the moment appears to be the right flank, where Andy Diouf has become the starting wing-back after Denzel Dumfries was sold. Originally a central midfielder, the Frenchman joins attacks effectively but regularly makes defensive errors.

Among the new arrivals, only Aleksandar Stankovic (preparing to eventually replace Hakan Calhanoglu as the deep-lying playmaker) and reserve goalkeeper Ivan Provedel (who outperformed Gianluigi Donnarumma in a penalty shootout) have stood out so far. Central defender John Stones is still on leave after the World Cup and will join the team later.

Predicted Lineups

Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio – Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Celik – Locatelli, D. Luis – Zhegrova, Alajbegovic, Boga – Kolo Muani

Unavailable: Ekhator, Thuram (both injured), Gonzalez (not in squad)

Head coach: Luciano Spalletti

Inter (3-5-2): H. Martinez – Pavard, Bastoni, Augusto – Diouf, Barella, Stankovic, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco – F. Esposito, Lavelli

Unavailable: L. Martinez, Thuram, Akanji, Stones (all not in squad), Bisseck (doubtful)

Head coach: Christian Chivu

Prediction and Bet

Main prediction: Juventus win at 3.20

In a clash between two closely matched teams in similar physical condition, it always makes sense to look at the underdog. Especially when that underdog is Juventus, who have already shown this summer they can contain the attacking surges of high-level opponents. Inter, on the other hand, have failed to win in regular time in either of their two matches against top clubs this preseason. Moreover, without their main strike pair—Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram—the Lombardy side are less clinical in front of goal. And against an opponent like La Vecchia Signora, the Nerazzurri will have even fewer scoring opportunities. We recommend backing a Juventus victory at 3.20.

Total goals prediction: Under 2.5 at 1.85

In official tournaments, Juventus and Inter have accustomed Italian football fans to high-scoring encounters. However, during summer training camps, these teams play very pragmatically. Inter played “under” in both matches against Manchester City and Milan, while in Juventus’ games this preseason, more than two goals have not been scored at all. So it is worth considering the under 2.5 goals market at 1.85.