Nil-all draw keeps Inter Milan atop Serie A
INTER Milan survived its toughest test yet as it drew at Juventus 0-0 to stay unbeaten and on top of Serie A on Saturday.
Inter barely sighted the goal, and Samir Handanovic was certainly the busier of the two goalkeepers in the Derby d’Italia.
Wojciech Szczesny stepped in for the injured Gianluigi Buffon but he was mainly a spectator between the posts for Juventus.
“Having taken away a point without conceding a goal is good,” Inter coach Luciano Spalletti said.
“But everything we have got up until now we have earned and we need to keep that in our heads. Instead, we had a bit of fear, as if we didn’t deserve to be here, as if some of them still don’t believe how much they have grown. Tonight we could have done something more, we weren’t as determined as we have been in other situations. In some moments it seemed as if we were happy to sit back, as if just having the ball was enough. Instead we should have been more fervent in trying to do more.”
Mario Mandzukic hit the crossbar and Juventus remained third, two points behind Inter and level with Napoli, which hosts Fiorentina on Sunday.
It was the first time Juventus has failed to score in 45 Serie A matches.
“The lads should be congratulated, they had a good game without ever conceding a shot on target,” Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said. “It wasn’t easy because Inter is a compact team, with good technical quality. We only lacked a goal.
“Inter can fight right to the end, it can fight for the title as can Juventus.