Juventus vs Inter Milan

Filed in archive Serie A on December 5, 2009

Serie A features a very interesting affair this weekend, with jose Mourinho’s league leaders Inter Milan travelling to Turin for a game against 3rd placed Juventus. Juve trail Inter by 8 points and need to close the gap with a win if they are likely to be within five points of the top come Christmas.

Juventus have been having an excellent season. Back at the top of the table and a return to Europe’s elite competition (having incurred a ban for a fixing scandal), with qualification into the knock-out rounds of the Champions League in their own hands with a last fixture at home to Bayern Munich where a draw will see them through in second place, they are back where they deserve to be in Italian football.

In saying this though, what really surprised me is the fact that the bookies do actually have them as favourites to win this match. Head over to the Gambling Weblog to check out the odds. The bookies seem to expect a high-scoring affair, with the draw ruled out as the least likely option. Although Juve’s odds are shorter by a hair, this, I am sure, will goad Mourinho to no end. Under more and more pressure, with qualification in the Champions League not assured (though he does have his easiest fixture yet still to play - a home game against Rubin Kazan) and leaked comments in the press about a desired return to England, the Special One must stay at the top of the league at Christmas, or even he may become a little less untouchable.