Missed chances and regret, Inter beaten 1 - 0 by Juventus

The match at the Allianz Stadium ends in defeat for Inter after an intense 90 minutes. The Nerazzurri had a host of chances in the first half but couldn’t find the back of the net. Conceicao’s goal in the second half won it for the Bianconeri: it ends 1-0 to Juventus.

A night difficult to describe, a result to explain. These are the nights when football doesn’t give you back what you create, but instead you get punished. You work, you play, you build, you create: but you just can’t find the back of the net and eventually you get punished. A harsh price to pay, as tough to swallow as a defeat in Turin. Juventus ran out 1-0 winners with a goal from Conceiçao, just before the half hour mark in the second half. Inter are left stuck - yet again, hitting the post but this time through Dumfries. The result stings, because a win would have opened up new opportunities in terms of the standings, because losing the Derby d’Italia is never pleasant, because the first half performance suggested everything but a defeat. Inter literally dominated the game in the first half, wasted golden chances, struck the post and then had to face Juventus’ armoury: quick counter attacks, the agility and speed of their attacking players, their capacity to stay in the game whilst being very dangerous with very little. And, with that very approach, in a second half when Inter were not at their best, Juventus raised the tempo and found a goal. Inter, after 25 matches, now sit two points behind leaders Napoli.

JUVENTUS 1-0 INTER | LIVE TABLE

Scorers: 74' Conceiçao (J) JUVENTUS (4-2-3-1): 29 Di Gregorio; 22 Weah, 4 Gatti, 12 Veiga, 37 Savona (27 Cambiaso 59'); 19 Thuram (5 Locatelli 77'), 8 Koopmeiners; 7 Conceiçao (10 Yildiz 81'), 16 McKennie, 11 Gonzalez; 20 Kolo Muani. Substitutes: 1 Perin, 23 Pinsoglio, 2 Costa, 6 Kelly, 9 Vlahovic, 40 Rouhi, 51 Mbangula. Head Coach: Thiago Motta.

INTER (3-5-2): 1 Sommer; 28 Pavard, 15 Acerbi, 95 Bastoni (30 Carlos Augusto 62'); 2 Dumfries, 23 Barella, 20 Calhanoglu (7 Zielinski 80'), 22 Mkhitaryan (11 Correa 80'), 32 Dimarco (59 Zalewski 62'); 99 Taremi (9 Thuram 62'), 10 Lautaro. Substitutes: 13 J. Martinez, 40 Calligaris, 6 De Vrij, 8 Arnautovic, 16 Frattesi, 21 Asllani, 31 Bisseck, 36 Darmian. Head Coach: Simone Inzaghi. Booked: Conceiçao (J), Barella (I) Stoppage time: 0' - 4'.

Referee: Mariani. Assistants: Giallatini, Colarossi. Fourth Official: Zufferli. VAR: Mazzoleni. Assistant VAR: Di Bello.

SUSPENDED Juventus: - Inter: - CAUTIONED Juventus: Cambiaso. Inter: Bastoni, Mkhitaryan.