The Prince of Inter Milan starts with Brother Xiaosa

Chapter 344 One step away

The match against Brazil was just a friendly match, but it was so exciting that the audience was hooked.

Five days later, Italy's Brazilian World Cup European Qualifiers did not have much to watch.

On March 3, the Italian national team rushed to the Mediterranean island country of Malta to usher in the sixth round of Group B of the World Cup preliminaries.

One is Italy, the defending champion group leader, which has won all five games in the first five rounds, and the other is Malta, which is at the bottom of the group without a win and zero points.

The game hasn't even started yet, but the result seems to be self-evident.

After all, the combined worth of all the players in the Maltese team, let alone compared to Leo, may not even be as good as any player on the bench of the Azzurri.

Prandelli made some adjustments to the team's starting lineup, but it is still a 4,31,2 formation.

Balotelli and Shaaraoui partnered as a double forward.

Leo is the attacking midfielder, with Pirlo, De Rossi and Marchisio behind him.

The referee decisively awarded a penalty kick and gave Buffon a yellow card.

In comparison, Inter Milan also has a busy schedule, but their opponents are not so difficult to deal with.

After the start of the second half, Prandelli replaced Leo and Pirlo.

The Azzurri are heading towards next summer's World Cup at high speed, and it should be unlikely that the defending champion will miss the World Cup.

“I do prefer to play with some combinations that already have a good rapport in club competitions.

Starting from this round of games against Inter Milan, Juventus will enter a devilish schedule.

“We knew they weren’t going to give us a lot of space and we knew we might be slow to get into the game.

I admit that today's game is not as exciting as the game we played in Brazil a few days ago, but this is my request.

Maybe the opponent really didn't put any pressure on the Italian team, which caused them to be a little relaxed on the court.

Before the end of the first half, Pirlo passed the ball and Balotelli scored with a header.

The first game after the national team match day is an Italian national derby with Juventus!

He wished that Prandelli would quickly replace all the Inter Milan players on the field.

This is because the national team training cycle is very short, and we cannot spend time on developing a tacit understanding among the players after the national team is assembled.

"If I had known I had given you that penalty kick, you wouldn't have scored three."

After the foul, the Italian goalkeeper seemed a little annoyed. This was not his performance.

This naturally makes sense, just as the Spanish national team likes to use players from Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Seven of the starting eleven come from Inter Milan.

Italy ended the first half with a 3-0 lead.

Buffon set an example as captain and made a great save, thank you to Buffon.

Left back David Thornton, right back Maggio, center back combination of Bonucci and Ranocchia, goalkeeper Buffon.

No matter how intense and intensive the stadium is, coupled with the physical and mental fatigue of the players, they are all problems that the head coach needs to solve.

In the end, Italy defeated Malta 3-0 in an away game and continued to lead the standings with a complete victory record.

After returning to the club, Inter Milan immediately entered into intense preparations.

Buffon made up for it and saved the penalty kick he sent with his own hands!

No one expected that this game, which was originally thought to be without any suspense, would have such twists and turns. This can be regarded as an unexpected surprise.

Due to his excellent record coaching the Italian national team, Prandelli has also been very happy recently.

Inter Milan head coach Carlo Ancelotti managed to smile.

Having more players with the same club helps us form a unit better and faster. "

But in the end we still controlled the ball throughout the game.

Because nothing is more important than winning, we have already left Denmark, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria behind in the group. "

There was nothing much to say about the game. Not long after the start, Shaarawy's breakthrough created a penalty kick. Leo easily scored the penalty, giving Italy a 1-0 lead.

In this regard, national team coach Prandelli has never denied that he likes to fight with the group army that has been formed in the club.

However, Ancelotti was not very happy when watching the game at home, and he even scolded Prandelli.

In the 19th minute, Malta forward Schembri broke into the penalty area, and Buffon made a reckless attack and knocked the opponent down in the penalty area!

Of course, this may have something to do with the fact that no one could send him a good pass after Leo and Pirlo both left the field.

Within three weeks, Juventus will face Inter Milan, Bayern, Pescara, Bayern, Lazio and AC Milan respectively. Almost all opponents will be difficult to deal with.

Mifsud took the penalty kick, but his low shot into the lower left corner was miraculously saved by Buffon!

After the game, Bashen was unhappy because he scored two goals but missed many opportunities in the second half and failed to score a hat trick.

Without any effort, the Azzurri led the home team 2-0 on the road.

Of course, this was just a joke by Leo. Balotelli, who scored two goals with his head and kick, was still named the best of the game.

Balotelli? He is often provoked by his opponents, but he must remain calm, as he was today.

Immediately after Leo launched the attack with a long pass, David Thornton knocked across from the left, and Balotelli shot with his right foot into the far corner of the goal!

Inter Milan's Thiago Silva, Srna and Modric were already injured when they returned from the national team.

Bonucci and Balotelli were accidentally injured during training.

It's strange that both of them were in poor physical condition after basically playing two national team games, and they didn't pay attention to not getting injured during training.

So today's starter is Lewandowski as the forward, with Bale and Neymar on the left and right.

Leo is the attacking midfielder, Pirlo and De Rossi are in the midfield.

Left back Kolarov, right back David Thornton, center back Ranocchia with teenager Marquinhos, goalkeeper Handanovic.

For Juventus, Caceres and Vucinic were absent due to injuries, and Matri and Quagliarella served as strike partners.

The three midfielders are Giovinco, Marchisio and Vidal.

Asamoah and Padoin flanked the flanks.

Chiellini, Barzagli and Marrone partnered with a back three, with Buffon as the goalkeeper.

Oh, by the way, as early as the end of last year, Conte had ended his suspension and returned to the sidelines.

What is very interesting is that Juventus's winning percentage did not fall but increased during the period when the two assistant coaches were acting.

This is first of all because Conte was very well prepared during training and even prepared substitution plans in advance based on different situations in the game.

What's more, the Bianconeri have completely transformed into Conte's shape, their tactics are more formed, and the tacit understanding between the players has also improved a lot.

There will naturally be no problems with the team's record.

After the game started, Inter Milan, playing at home, launched the attack first.

The Meazza stadium, which can accommodate 80,000 people, was full today, and Nerazzurri showed great enthusiasm.

The Nerazzurri fans in the North Stand couldn't wait to pull out a huge banner, which listed the old woman's "crimes" in detail.

Bribing referees, stealing championships, manipulating the market, players taking drugs, financial fraud...

The thousands of Juventini present were furious, but their response was quickly drowned out by the shouts of more than 70,000 Inter Milan fans. Leo made a direct pass, and Lewandowski turned sideways and hit the goal directly into the arms of Buffon under the interference of Chiellini.

Less than three minutes into the game, Asamoah broke through from the wing and passed the ball. Quagliarella turned around outside the penalty area and got rid of the home team's defender and shot hard with his right foot. The ball flew into the upper left corner of the goal like a cannonball!

World wave!

Speaking of which, Quagliarella's scoring efficiency is not high, but he can occasionally hit such unsolvable shots.

A player as strong as Handanovic would have no choice in the face of such an unreasonable goal.

One to zero!

Juventus scored on their first attack of the game!

The Bianconeri were unyielding and continued to attack aggressively after scoring the goal.

Giovinco dribbled the ball near the center circle and was intercepted by De Rossi's flying tackle!

Pirlo sent a long diagonal kick to the right, and David Thornton broke through to the inverted triangle near the baseline and passed back to the penalty area!

Leo's light short pass was accurately passed to Lewandowski, and the Pole only needed a simple push!

The ball went in!

One to one!

Inter Milan played exquisite offensive coordination at Meazza!

Although Lewandowski has limited opportunities to play in Inter Milan, this is already the tenth goal he has scored for the Nerazzurri in all competitions this season.

Regardless of whether he got the starting opportunity because of Balotelli's injury, anyway, it was him who scored against Juventus today.

However, Lewandowski's celebration was nothing new. He gave a high-five to captain Leo, who gave him a great assist, and then made a heart sign to the fans cheering for him in the stands.

The game continues and the away team kicks off from the center circle.

Two minutes later, Pirlo's pass caused a melee in the penalty area!

Bell made a pass from the left side of the penalty area, and Lewandowski headed the ball in front of the penalty spot. The ball was blocked by Buffon on the goal line with his hand!

Inter Milan's players on the field raised their hands to indicate that the ball had crossed the goal line.

However, the referee Rizzoli ruled that the ball was not scored. He believed that the entire ball did not reach the goal line.

Buffon had a somewhat proud smile on his face. This was obviously not the first time he had fished the ball out of the goal.

Experience is so important in many cases. Regardless of whether the ball was scored or not, Buffon's calm response will make the referee believe that the ball really was not scored.

This controversial penalty somewhat affected the mentality of the Inter Milan players. Nerazzurri in the stands also began to boo the referee and the Juventus players.

David Thornton dribbled the ball from the right wing at high speed and then passed Chiellini raw. It seemed that Chiellini had not fully recovered after his injury.

When Juventus center back Marrone stopped the ball in the penalty area, he actually stopped the ball to his left hand!

Lewandowski, who was nearest, could see it clearly, and he once again signaled to the referee that the opponent was suspected of handball.

However, the referee did not whistle the penalty.

Well, this is Rizzoli, the top referee promoted by the Italian Football Association, whose penalty level is unparalleled.

The visiting team seized the opportunity to counterattack quickly, and Vidal took the ball to the wing and made a pass.

Matri headed the ball high due to interference from Bonucci.

Leo once again sent a wonderful pass, and Neymar's low shot from an angle in the penalty area was blocked by Buffon as he fell to the ground!

Giovinco passed the ball, and Vidal broke into the penalty area from the right to face Inter Milan's goalkeeper one-on-one!

Handanovic decisively abandoned the goal and attacked!

Then the Inter goalkeeper collided with Vidal and both fell to the ground.

Everyone immediately looked at the referee, but Rizzoli had no intention of taking a penalty kick.

A referee who can make a game decision that makes both opponents dissatisfied is a truly awesome referee.

Rizzoli managed to do just that today in just over twenty minutes.

Because only in this way, as a referee, can he get some space in the next day's newspapers and magazines.

Leo sighed helplessly, Italy was like this, and change was impossible.

Resisting the urge to applaud Rizzoli in person, Leo focused his attention on the field.

Accelerating the change of direction to get rid of Marchisio's defense, and then turning around with a pull ball to break through Vidal's marking, Leo sent some diagonal balls into the penalty area!

Gareth Bale's left-footed volley from a small angle on the left side of the penalty area hit the side net!

It was a pity that a great scoring opportunity was missed, but the Welshman still gave Leo a thumbs up.

In the 40th minute, Matri passed the ball in the frontcourt, and Giovinco made a slight adjustment from the outside of the penalty area and suddenly took a cold shot!

Handanovic flew and fought hard to get the ball.

The first half of the game is coming to an end, and the score is still tied one to one.

In the second minute of stoppage time, Kolarov hit the wall with Bell on the left wing and then made a curved pass!

Lewandowski overpowered the Juventus center back and leaped high to attack the goal, but was blocked by the quick-reacting Juventus goalkeeper Buffon!

Leo fought for a spot in the penalty area and deftly passed Marrone, who was pressing forward, and volleyed into the dead center of the goal from close range!

Two to one!

Inter Milan, playing at home, overtook the score before the end of the first half!

The visiting team took the lead in making substitutions before the start of the second half.

Italian defender Peluso, who had just been loaned from Atlanta in the winter window this year, came on as a substitute. Marrone, who performed poorly in the first half, was replaced.

Padoin cut in from the right and fired a powerful left-footed shot from the front of the penalty area, which was easily saved by Handanovic.

In the 55th minute, Leo intercepted the ball in the midfield to form a fast break. Lewandowski cleverly played the ball in the middle. Neymar broke into the penalty area from the right and faced Buffon with a single shot. He calmly pushed the ball into the lower right corner of the goal and scored!

Three to one!

The Nerazzurri expanded their lead!

Subsequently, the Bianconeri made substitutions one after another, with Lichtsteiner and Pogba coming on as substitutes.

The visiting team fell behind by two goals and stepped up their attack at Meazza!

Asamoah made a pass from the left, and the Inter Milan defensive player was not far away from the defense. Lichtsteiner's right-footed shot was bravely blocked by Handanovic!

Pogba's powerful long-range shot from outside the penalty area went directly over the goal crossbar!

Juventus' offense has indeed undergone some changes after the substitutions, but it seems that scoring goals is still not that easy.

The home team, which was leading the score, took the initiative on the field, and Ancelotti also made substitutions near the 80 minute mark.

Two young players, Casemiro and Verratti, came on as substitutes, while Bell and Leo were replaced.

At the end of the game, Leo and the others received warm applause from the Inter Milan supporters in the stands.

Inter Milan's formation changed to 4411, strengthening defense and switching to defensive counterattack.

But just two minutes after Li Ao sat on the bench, a controversial scene appeared on the court again.

Quagliarella received a direct pass from Pogba and broke into the penalty area near the bottom line on the right side. Matri shot in front of the small penalty area and scored!

Three to two!

Juventus brought the score gap back to one point!

Inter Milan protested the penalty because they believed the ball had crossed the sideline when the ball was passed!

But Rizzoli disagreed, and Cordoba, a member of the Inter Milan coaching staff, was sent off with a red card for protesting to the referee.

The slow motion shows that there is indeed room for discussion in the referee's penalty.

What's more critical is that the game is now in suspense again, but their core has already left the game.

The referee gave four minutes of stoppage time. Does Juventus still have a chance to equalize the score?

In the 91st minute, Neymar passed two people and broke into the penalty area. He fell to the ground after contact with Chiellini!

Rizzoli refused to take a penalty kick despite the boos from the audience!

In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Pogba's long shot missed the near post and hit the baseline!

Handanovic was given a yellow card by the referee for delaying the game.

In the end, Juventus still failed to change the score, and Inter Milan narrowly defeated its opponent 3-2 at home!

This second-leg clash in the 2012-13 Italian Clasico ended with the Nerazzurri winning.

Ancelotti's team also completed a double kill against the Bianconeri again this season!

After this game, the defending champion Inter Milan's lead in the Serie A standings has further expanded!

There are only eight rounds left in the league, and second-ranked Juventus is now a full 23 points behind Inter Milan.

Inter Milan only needs to win one more game to lock in this season's league championship in advance!

(End of this chapter)