Thiago Motta does not believe Juventus are Serie A title contenders just yet, despite their 4-4 draw with reigning champions Inter.

With Juventus trailing 4-2, teenager Kenan Yildiz came off the bench to score twice and rescue a point in dramatic fashion.

It is the third time in the history of these sides that they have shared an eight-goal Serie A clash, though this was the first such occasion since 1961.

While Juve hit back from a two-goal deficit to avoid defeat against Inter in a league game for the first time since 1978, Motta believes the way the Nerazzurri dominated much of the proceedings shows how far his side away are from challenging for the Scudetto.

"Not at this moment. We delivered a solid performance against one of the favourites for the Scudetto, alongside Napoli, who have maintained the core of their squad from a year and a half ago," Motta told DAZN.

"Right now, they’re ahead and capable of competing until the end for the title. While today was a good performance, we need to keep our feet on the ground.

"We’ll continue on our path, sticking to our ideas and our growth process. We’ll see what we’re capable of when the time comes. I’m being honest; I speak as things are.

"We sought something more in terms of both play and the right spirit; we wanted a different outcome after a first half filled with unfortunate incidents.

"They could have increased their lead but didn’t, and in the end, we could have won it. However, we need to understand why we perform well at times and struggle against the opponent's game at others."

Timothy Weah started in place of Yildiz, and scored in the first half, netting against Inter 25 years and three days after his father George had last scored a league goal against the Nerazzurri.

"I chose Weah because he could offer something interesting for us in transitions. Kenan can help the team in the second half by providing different options, whether as a winger, midfielder, or striker," Motta said.

"We know we have young players, but we believe we can perform much better than we did today. It's clear that the many absences may have had an impact; it’s not an excuse, but a fact." 

Indeed, Juve fielded their youngest starting XI (25 years, 212 days on average) against Inter in Serie A in the three points for a win era (since 1994-95).

Simone Inzaghi vented his frustration at Inter's missed opportunities and defensive errors during their 4-4 draw with Juventus in the Derby d'Italia on Sunday. 

Piotr Zielinski handed Inter the lead from the spot before Dusan Vlahovic and Timothy Weah responded for Juventus with two goals in the space of six first-half minutes.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan and a second penalty from Zielinski restored Inter's advantage, with Denzel Dumfries notching their fourth eight minutes after the break.

But substitute Kenan Yildiz struck twice to seal a share of the spoils at the San Siro, becoming the youngest player to score at least two goals in a fixture between the two sides in Serie A.

However, Inzaghi rued his side's inability to take their chances, having ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) tally of 3.13 compared to Juventus' 2.17. 

"There is bitterness but as a coach I must analyse and talk to them tomorrow, as the players looked sad in the dressing room," Inzaghi told Sky Sports Italy.

"It’s frustrating, as we were facing a Juventus side whose greatest strength is defence and we created so many scoring opportunities without winning.

"We lost our shape a bit, then on the fourth goal we made a series of mistakes. These compromised a match we clearly deserved to win."

Despite the result, Inzaghi was keen to highlight the positive aspects of his side's display in a game that saw eight goals scored between the two sides for only the third time in Serie A.

"It is right that the team feels disappointed and angry, but we must also look at the positives, creating nine or 10 clear scoring opportunities against a side that had conceded only once in Serie A this season," he said.

But Inter's defensive fragility was on show once again at the San Siro. 

On their way to the title last season, the Nerazzurri conceded just 22 times, but have already let in nine goals from their first nine games this term.

"We have been conceding goals that are frankly unacceptable. We probably would’ve won this by quite a bit last season," Inzaghi said.

"It’s a draw, not a defeat, but admittedly it feels a bit like that. I’ll be honest, I’ve never been part of a game like that.

"There seemed to be no warning of a Juve comeback, maybe I could’ve done more."

Piotr Zielinski and Kenan Yildiz both scored twice as Derby d'Italia rivals Inter and Juventus played out a thrilling 4-4 draw in Serie A on Sunday.

An absorbing opening half featuring five goals began with Marcus Thuram winning a penalty for the Nerazzurri, which Zielinski converted coolly after 15 minutes.

Juve equalised five minutes later through Dusan Vlahovic, however, then took the lead through a strike from Timothy Weah within six further minutes.

After Henrikh Mkhitaryan equalised following a neat piece of interplay with Thuram in the 35th minute, Zielinski scored his second penalty of the game to put Inter back on top, Pierre Kalulu mistiming his clearance and fouling Denzel Dumfries.

Dumfries extended Inter's advantage early in the second half, converting at the back post after a corner was flicked into his path, but Juventus were not to be denied a share of the spoils.

Substitute Yildiz reduced the deficit for Juve in the 71st minute, placing an angled drive into the far corner, then stunned San Siro by firing home at the back post eight minutes from time. 

The result leaves Inter second, four points adrift of early-season pacesetters Napoli, while Juve are one point back in third.

Data Debrief: Goals galore in Derby d'Italia 

One could certainly make the case for Sunday's Derby d'Italia being the most entertaining in the fixture's storied history.

It was just the third game between Inter and Juventus to feature at least eight goals in Serie A history, after a 9-1 Juve win in June 1961 and a 6-2 Inter triumph in 1932.

It was the first Serie A fixture between the teams to ever see five goals scored in the first half, meanwhile. 

Antonio Conte refused to criticise his Napoli players after they laboured to another hard-fought win against one of Serie A's lesser lights on Saturday.

One week after beating Empoli 1-0, the Partenopei overcame 19th-placed Lecce by the same scoreline as Giovanni Di Lorenzo scored on the rebound in the 73rd minute.

Napoli are now unbeaten in their last eight league games, winning seven and drawing one, their best run since February 2023, when they went on to win the Scudetto.

Despite a series of flat attacking displays, they are five points clear of nearest rivals Inter ahead of the Nerazzurri's clash with Juventus on Sunday, and Conte refused to criticise their performances when speaking to DAZN.

"I have little to reproach the team today. I look at the statistics that can mean all or nothing, but today we had great ball possession and 16 corners," Conte said.

"They defended in an organised way, but we attacked. When you attack and don't score, then a bit of nervousness can take over.

"I calmed them down, because you have to have the maturity and patience to keep going, move the ball around and create chances to score."

Calmness is what is required according to Conte, especially against teams who set up to stop Napoli playing, with Lecce adopting a defence-first approach after losing 6-0 to Fiorentina last time out.

"We did what we had to, we dominated from start to finish. I can't ask more of the players looking at the statistics from the game," Conte said at his post-match press conference.

"I can ask that when the teams close down you have to have patience and calm. I'm happy because they are very difficult games.

"The standings don't reflect fairly on Lecce, I wish them the best and I'm sure they will get salvation."

Napoli midfielder Frank Anguissa gave an insight into Conte's reaction after a scoreless first half.

"He didn't shout. He told us to continue playing as we know how, and to remain calm," Anguissa told DAZN.

"It's always difficult playing against a team that defends so low. I'm happy for Di Lorenzo and for the squad."

A second-half goal from Giovanni Di Lorenzo was enough to earn Napoli a 1-0 win over struggling Lecce on Saturday, stretching their lead at the Serie A summit. 

Di Lorenzo, who had a goal disallowed in the first half, bundled the ball into the net in the 73rd minute after his initial effort had been saved, and it proved enough to take all three points at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Lecce, despite their lowly position and dismal run of recent results, were far from outplayed by the league leaders but fell to their fourth successive defeat and remain second from bottom in the standings with five points.

The home side's only real chance in the opening 45 minutes came close to half-time when Cyril Ngonge's effort from distance brought a save from Wladimiro Falcone, while Lecce's Federico Baschirotto also had a header saved by Alex Meret.

Napoli finally found a way through when Scott McTominay's header from a corner was parried away by Falcone and, while the keeper also got a hand to Di Lorenzo's first attempt from the rebound, Napoli's captain scrambled home at the second time of asking. 

Lecce tried to push forward in search of an equaliser but a side who have scored just three league goals all season never seriously threatened Meret's goal and Napoli, while again far from convincing, earned the all-important three points.

Data Debrief: Partenopei rearguard driving title bid

Napoli were far from free-flowing on Saturday, but as has been the case on several occasions already this season, a solid defensive performance provided the basis for a victory.

They have kept five clean sheets in their last six league matches, as many as they managed in their previous 34.

Antonio Conte's men are now unbeaten in their last eight league games (seven wins, one draw), their best run since February 2023, when they went on to win the Scudetto.

Inter strolled to the Serie A title last season but Simone Inzaghi anticipates a much tighter Scudetto battle this time, with upcoming opponents Juventus likely to be involved. 

Inzaghi's side finished 19 points clear of their closest rivals Milan in 2023-24, but they are currently two points behind leaders Napoli after eight matches.

They sit one clear of Derby d'Italia rivals Juve – who are the only unbeaten team remaining in the Italian top flight – ahead of Sunday's head-to-head clash at San Siro.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Inzaghi refuted the suggestion his team are clear title favourites, saying: "I don't like to talk much about favourites and things like that.

"This year it will be a more balanced championship than usual; many teams have spent a lot to close the gap that had been created.

"Juventus are the best team in Europe in terms of goals conceded, they have an excellent coach who I really like and they have invested a lot. They will remain protagonists throughout the year."

While Juve coach Thiago Motta and Napoli's Antonio Conte have both played down their own chances of title success, Inzaghi's past success does not allow him that luxury.

"I don't know if it's a strategy or something else, I can only speak for myself," Inzaghi said. 

"We know that we start from the beginning of the season with clear goals, to play as many games as possible to ensure that we get as far as possible in the cups and try to be competitive in the league."

Inter enter Sunday's match with selection issues. Defender Francesco Acerbi is still out with a thigh injury sustained in the last league game, a 1-0 win at Roma, and midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu also went off injured in that match.

Kristjan Asllani could be in line to replace Calhanoglu, if he can recover from his own injury which has kept him out of Inter's last two games.

"We know what Calhanoglu represents for us, he is a world-class player. His natural replacement is Asllani, if he gives me the right guarantees he will play," Inzaghi said.

"He is a player who has improved a lot over the years, his misfortune is having Hakan ahead of him. 

"Unfortunately he had a problem before Roma. Yesterday he had his first training session which didn't go badly and we will need to evaluate.

"In the same role we also have [Nicolo] Barella and [Piotr] Zielinski; I will carry this doubt until tomorrow evening." 

Thiago Motta said Juventus' Champions League defeat against Stuttgart was in the past, as he eyes a win against Inter, a side he classed as "favourites" for the title.

The Bianconeri meet Simone Inzaghi’s side in the Derby d’Italia at the San Siro on Sunday, knowing a win will put them above Inter in the standings. 

Juventus are the only unbeaten team (W4 D4) after the opening eight games of a Serie A season for the first time since 2019-20, and are without defeat in six of the last seven matches played against Inter. 

Inter finished 23 points above Juventus last season, and although they’re within touching distance in the table, Motta insists there’s still a gap separating the two sides.

"It’s clear that the favourites to win the league are Napoli and Inter, they have won the last two Scudetti," Motta said.

"Tomorrow, we have to face Inter with focus and courage."

“They are a team that plays really good football, they created problems for many sides on the counter-attack.

“They’re a very dangerous side, they regroup quickly, when they get attacked they have a good defensive phase and are also very fast up front, we need to be careful.”

But Motta comes into the encounter on the back of his first defeat since his arrival at Juventus, with El Bilal Toure netting a late winner for Stuttgart.

Juventus had just one shot on target against the Bundesliga side, their fewest in a Champions League game since against Chelsea in September 2021 (also one).

However, Motta was not concerned about his side's showing, saying the defeat was firmly in his players' rearview mirror.

"There’s no need to work on mentality, the guys are in good shape. Understandably, in an historic team like ours, the expectations are extremely high," Motta said.

"It's the first defeat that's happened this season. Even when we win, we move on just the same.

"There’s no time to celebrate or dwell on a victory. The past is in the past; Stuttgart is behind us, and now we’re going to play Inter."

Saturday's game between Bologna and Milan has been postponed due to heavy rain and flooding in the area, Serie A confirmed.

The clubs and the league organisers met on Friday in an attempt to find alternative arrangements, after Bologna mayor Matteo Lepore had earlier announced that he had ordered the suspension of the match.

An agreement could not be reached, with solutions such as playing the game in Bologna behind closed doors or at a neutral stadium rejected, and the game has been postponed with a rescheduled date yet to be announced.

"The match is postponed because, with a decision that in my opinion is incomprehensible, the mayor has prohibited the match from being played even behind closed doors," Milan chairman Paolo Scaroni told reporters after the meeting.

The municipality of Bologna said in a statement that the match would bring around 35,000 people near the most critical area of the city, causing problems due to the presence of fans and traffic closure in the surrounding area.

With both clubs involved in the Champions League, finding a new date for the postponed game will prove difficult, and Milan will now be without Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders for Tuesday's match against leaders Napoli.

Both players were set to be suspended for the Bologna game, but will now serve their suspension in the next match instead.

Antonio Conte is anticipating an emotional occasion when his Napoli side meet his former club Lecce on Saturday, but he knows the Serie A leaders have a job to do. 

Conte started out in the youth ranks at Lecce in 1985 and made his debut the following year, before going on to become a household name as a midfielder with Juventus and Italy.

Napoli, who went through three coaches and finished 10th last season, have taken 19 points from his first eight matches at the helm to lead the Scudetto race at this early stage.

While Conte is looking forward to his reunion with Lecce, his primary focus is on keeping the Partenopei's strong run going.

"There are feelings, but there is also professionalism as well. You have to separate those things," Conte said on Thursday. 

"Lecce represents my origins, the dusty pitches, my father's team, where I grew up and went through the ranks up to Serie A.

"It's always held a special place in my heart. Nobody will take that away from me, but there's still an opponent to take on."

Discussing the options in his squad, the former Chelsea and Tottenham boss added: "I make choices based on what I see, maybe certain things that aren't always seen by everyone else, even if you seem to know at least 85% of what goes on. I try to put the best team out in the formation that I think suits us best.

"It's an important game against Lecce if we want to continue getting results. I still have tomorrow to make the final decisions and draw up my starting XI."

Napoli are yet to field star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and close-season signing David Neres in the same lineup, but Conte feels the pair can play together in the right scenario.

"It's important to remember that when you play against a team that blocks off five channels, there's a need to drop a winger into midfield, like [Matteo] Politano, or drop a midfielder deeper to create a five like other teams do," Conte said.

"We could also play [Stanislav] Lobotka or [Billy] Gilmour deeper so that there's not a numerical inferiority.

"If teams don't line up against us like that, then there's a possibility of seeing Kvara and Neres together, but balance is the basis of everything."

Roma legend Francesco Totti says he would be open to returning to professional football, claiming Serie A teams have contacted him recently.

Totti, who spent his entire career with Roma, playing 785 times in all competitions, retired from football in 2017.

The 48-year-old, who also earned 58 caps for Italy, scored 307 goals for the club and provided 207 over his 24-year spell at Roma.

Despite being out of the game for seven years, Totti believes it would only take him a few months to get back to full fitness if the right team came for him.

"There were Serie A teams that called me," he said during an event at Sportitalia Village, as quoted by ESPN.

"I admit that they made me think a little, a little crazy," Totti said. "It would be difficult, but in life, you never say never.

"There are players who have played many years after the end of their career. It also depends on where you play, with all due respect, but if I were to return to Serie A, I would have to train really well.

"Lazio? I wouldn't even consider it. I'd be ready in two to three months.

"I'm still playing at 48. If I had to do something crazy, I'd do it in Italy, not abroad, but it is crazy."

Former Lazio goalkeeper Marco Ballotta is the current oldest player to have made a Serie A appearance at 44 years and 38 days.

Totti also admitted his decision to retire was not something he decided himself.

"When you turn the page, you never know what awaits you. It wasn't my choice, but in that moment, it has to be experienced differently from the context," he added.

"Maybe that's also why I've had that thing inside me. It's true that there's a beginning and an end to everything. I didn't want it and so that window remained open."

Inter boss Simone Inzaghi hailed his team's fighting spirit after Sunday's 1-0 Serie A win over Roma.

Early injuries to Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Acerbi threatened to derail Inter's chances on Sunday, but the Serie A champions held firm to secure the points.

Inzaghi was pleased with the team's performance and result, with Lautaro Martinez scoring the only goal of the game in the second half, but could not ignore the setbacks suffered by two key players.

"Calhanoglu wasn't in great shape over the last two days, so with the other two available I would’ve rested him this evening. He is generous and tried to put in the effort, but he felt the adductor pain and stopped before it got worse," Inzaghi told DAZN.

"Roma are a solid side with a lot of good players coming off the bench, so the fact we had to use up two substitutions was a real problem."

The victory lifted Inter to second in the Serie A table, one point behind league leaders Napoli and one point above as yet unbeaten Juventus, who they face in their next league game.

Aside from the injuries, Inzaghi was pleased with how the evening played out.

"Roma are a strong team with quality, so the lads did really well. The first half was balanced, in the second we had two or three opportunities to double our lead and should’ve killed off the game," he said.

Striker Martinez was singled out for praise by his manager after netting his third league goal of the season and 133rd for Inter in all competitions, which put him level with the club's all-time scoring record for a non-Italian.

"He just has to keep doing what he has done with Inter and Argentina. I think he is one of the five best players in the world. He deserves all of this success," Inzaghi said.

Lautaro Martinez was the hero as Inter edged out Roma 1-0 at Stadio Olimpico.

The Nerazzurri skipper struck the only goal on the hour mark, helping his side move back to within two points of Serie A leaders Napoli in second place.

Simone Inzaghi's side suffered two injury setbacks during the first half, with both Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Acerbi forced off early on.

Nevertheless, the visitors went closest to breaking the deadlock, as Henrikh Mkhitaryan rattled the crossbar on 14 minutes.

But they were not to be denied after the break when Zeki Celik failed to deal with Davide Frattesi's cross, and Lautaro fired into the top corner.

Roma went in search of the equaliser inside the final half an hour, but could not find a way through the stubborn Inter defence, who held out for all three points.

Data Debrief: Landmark Lautaro goal ends Giallorossi streak

Lautaro was Inter's matchwinner once more, and it was a landmark goal for the Argentina forward.

With his 133rd strike for the club, he is now officially the Nerazzurri's joint-leading non-Italian scorer, after moving level with Hungarian Stefano Nyers.

He also continued Inter's record of having scored in all eight of their Serie A matches this season, making them the only side to do so in the Italian top flight.

As for Roma, their run of scoring in 24 successive home Serie A games comes to an end, with the Giallorossi remaining in 10th place after missing the chance to close the gap on the top four.

Napoli took all three points in a 1-0 win over Empoli on Sunday, and Antonio Conte was happy to get the victory after a disappointing first 45 minutes.

A second-half penalty from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia earned them a 1-0 win, but they could easily have been trailing at the break due to a sluggish start.

They were outplayed in the first half by Empoli, who had 10 shots, four of which were on target, and accumulated 0.66 expected goals (xG), compared to the visitors, who only managed three efforts without testing Devis Vasquez.

Napoli finished the match with just one shot on target, the goal, and Conte recalled their dismal title defence last season along with their 3-0 opening-day defeat to Verona to highlight how their approach has changed when they struggle to break down stubborn opponents.

"In the first half we were spectators, I didn't see what we had prepared, and I saw a lot of nervousness," Conte told reporters.

"Certainly, what satisfies me is to have seen a reaction in the second half. The first was very negative.

"This is a difficult place to come. I don't know if it was due to the fact of defending the top spot, but it makes me smile if I think about last year or how we started this season."

The penalty is the first goal that Empoli have conceded at home this season, as the hosts suffered their second consecutive defeat.

Conte sent on Giovanni Simeone for Romelu Lukaku and replaced Leonardo Spinazzola with Mathias Olivera just before the hour mark to try and inject something different into the game.

Seconds later, they were awarded the decisive penalty, and Conte was pleased that the changes paid off.

"When you work during the week you prepare the game in all phases, we had prepared it defensively with 4-5-1," Conte added.

"I changed something from a tactical point of view, from a possession point of view. I think it bore fruit because we saw another game."

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's penalty was the difference as Napoli laboured to a 1-0 win at Empoli on Sunday to extend their lead at the top of the Serie A table.

Kvaratskhelia tucked away his spot-kick in the 63rd minute, Napoli's only shot on target over the 90 minutes and the first goal Empoli have conceded at home in the league this season.

Tino Anjorin was the player to concede the penalty, standing on Matteo Politano's foot inside the area on the Napoli winger's 300th Serie A appearance.

Empoli were left to rue missed chances in the first half when they were by far the better side, with Sebastiano Esposito going closest when his ferocious volley was kept out by Elia Caprile.

Caprile was also called upon to stop Giuseppe Pezzella's effort with his foot as Antonio Conte's men earned a scrappy win, their fourth in a row in all competitions.

Napoli moved on to 19 points, three ahead of Juventus in second with Inter third on 14 before they face Roma later on Sunday. Empoli are 11th with 10 points. 

Data Debrief: Kvara on the spot

Kvaratskhelia has scored four league goals this season, a tally only bettered by four players in Serie A – Marcus Thuram, Mateo Retegui (both seven), Christian Pulisic and Dusan Vlahovic (both five).

The Georgian has now scored three penalties in the competition overall, with each of those coming in away games. 

 

Juventus left-back Juan Cabal was pleased to repay the faith of coach Thiago Motta after returning from injury to star in their 1-0 win over Lazio.

Cabal joined from Verona in July for €11million but has battled a niggling hamstring issue at the start of his Bianconeri career, missing the last six weeks.

He returned to face Lazio on Saturday, with his cross forcing an own goal from Mario Gila as Juventus avoided a fifth draw in the space of six games.

After the match, the Colombia international revealed Lazio had shown an interest in him previously, but said he only ever had eyes for Juve.

"Lazio looked for me before, but I was only thinking about Juve. I wanted to play for Juve since I was a kid and now I am here," Cabal told reporters.

"We all know Juve's history. We have to give our lives for Juve.

"The coach saw something different and put me out, but he has faith in me. He put me on the pitch at the right time. 

"It is difficult not to play for so long. But we must always be ready. I work all week to play even one minute," 

Saturday's win took unbeaten Juventus to 16 points from eight matches, level on points with leaders Napoli, who possess a game in hand.

"The important thing is to try to win every game. We want to be champions, but I can't tell you now that we will win the championship," Cabal said.

 

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