Juventus 2-0 Inter: Fagioli scores on first Serie A start as Bianconeri win Derby d´Italia

Nicolo Fagioli marked his first Serie A start with a crucial goal as Juventus clinched a 2-0 win over Derby d’Italia rivals Inter in Turin, leapfrogging the Nerazzurri in the Serie A table.

Juventus and Inter entered Sunday’s match 13 and 11 points adrift of the Serie A summit respectively, but the Nerazzurri began with more urgency and missed several clear chances before half-time.

However, Massimiliano Allegri’s hosts improved after Adrien Rabiot’s side-footed finish put them ahead against the run of play, and 21-year-old midfielder Fagioli made the points safe with a late deflected effort.

The result lifted Juventus above Inter into Serie A’s top five, leaving Simone Inzaghi’s men – runners-up last term – languishing in seventh place.

Lautaro Martinez hammered a left-footed volley wide as Inter started well, before Bremer hit the side-netting when Juventus created a rare opening at the other end.

Edin Dzeko headed wide of the top-left corner as the home crowd began to grow frustrated, and Denzel Dumfries should have put Inter ahead when firing over from six yards out as half-time approached.

3 – Adrien #Rabiot is the third French midfielder to score for #Juventus against #Inter in #SerieA, after Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane. Strike.#JuventusInter

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) November 6, 2022

Inter again went close again when Hakan Calhanoglu forced Wojciech Szczesny into an acrobatic save from range, but Juventus punished their profligacy as Rabiot turned Filip Kostic’s cut-back into the bottom-right corner after 52 minutes.

That goal lifted Juventus, who were denied a second goal when a VAR review spotted a handball by Danilo following his volleyed finish, before Szczesny denied Martinez with his legs.

The Bianconeri went close to doubling their lead through Kostic, who saw his shot turned onto the post by Andre Onana, but the Serbian turned provider once more as Juventus wrapped up the win, teeing up Fagioli for his dream goal.

What does it mean? Juventus’ revival continues

Allegri appeared to be facing a battle to keep his job after overseeing Juventus’ meek group-stage exit from the Champions League, but the Bianconeri have staged a remarkable revival on the domestic front in recent weeks.

Juventus have now won four consecutive Serie A games without conceding, keeping four successive clean sheets in the competition for the first time since December 2018 (when they recorded a run of six shutout wins in a row).

Meanwhile, Inter remain 11 points adrift of league leaders Napoli, and their chances of mounting another serious title bid appear slim.

Breakout performance for Fagioli

With the injured Paul Pogba missing the entirety of Juventus’ season to date, the Bianconeri have been crying out for a new midfield star, and they may just have found one in Fagioli.

As well as making the points safe with his late effort, the Bianconeri academy product produced a composed performance throughout, creating two chances and completing a team-high 93 per cent of his 28 passes attempted.

Rabiot follows Platini and Zidane

Rabiot’s neat finish proved the turning point after Inter controlled the opening period, and saw the 27-year-old join an exclusive club of French midfielders to have scored for Juventus in the Derby d’Italia.

Before Sunday’s game, legendary duo Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane were the only two French midfielders to have found the net for the Bianconeri against Inter in a Serie A match.

What’s next?

Inter host Bologna in their next Serie A game on Wednesday, while Juventus go to Verona the following day.