When Juventus and Inter met at the San Siro for the Italian Super Cup showdown on January 12, eleven points separated the two sides in the Serie A standings in favor of the Nerazzurri.
So when Alexis Sanchez scored the last-gasp winner, the Supercoppa triumph showcased the superiority of the reigning Italian champions.
Flash forward to April, the table is now painting a very different image, as the Bianconeri have managed to close the gap between them and their arch rivals to a single point (even though Simone Inzaghi’s men have an extra match in hand).
Ahead of the crucial clash between the two sides on Sunday, la Gazzetta dello Sport explains how Juventus managed to catch up with Inter despite creating lesser chances.
In their last nine league fixtures, the Beneamata took 154 shots, with 58 on target. However, they only found the back of the net on 11 occasions; A relatively low figure.
On the other hand, the Bianconeri aimed towards goals on 100 occasions (39 shots on target), culminating in 15 goals.
Unsurprisingly, Juventus have also been superior on the defensive phase during the last run. Their opponents landed 29 shots on target, four less than Inter. This translated to fewer goals. Wojciech Szczesny only conceded five strikes, while Samir Handanovic allowed eight goals.
In conclusion, these figures prove that Max Allegri’s side has been built upon a solid backline. While the Old Lady has often let the initiative for others, the frontline has proven to be clinical in front of goal.
