Juventus Starting Lineup Prediction vs. Inter Milan: The Locatelli replacement

It will be a battle between first and second in Serie A, as two bitter rivals will go head-to-head at the Allianz Stadium for the Derby d’Italia between league leaders Inter Milan and second-placed Juventus.

This match could very well be a deciding factor in the Scudetto race by the end of the season, and Juve will want to make good on their home-field advantage against the white-hot attacking duo of Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram, as well as half-field hero Federico Dimarco.

Here is a look at the potential starting XI for Juventus on Sunday night at the Allianz.

Defense

GK Wojciech Szczęsny

CB Daniele Rugani

CB Gleison Bremer

CB Federico Gatti

Danilo looks unlikely to play against the Nerazzurri, meaning a lot will be thrust upon Daniele Rugani, who could have his hands full against a fluid attack. He’ll even have to watch out for the surging Denzel Dumfries runs, as Simone Inzaghi loves it when his wing backs get into the penalty box to score or assist goals. Dimarco and Dumfries love to connect from across the pitch.

Bremer is the key man, marking Lautaro, who is a legitimate Ballon d’Or candidate and arguably the in-form player in world football for all of 2023. (Harry Kane is, of course, in that argument, as is Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham).

Midfield

LM Filip Kostić

CM Adrien Rabiot

DM Hans Nicolussi

CM Weston McKennie

RM Andrea Cambiaso

The midfield is where things get especially interesting. Manuel Locatelli could still recover in time from a rib injury to play on Sunday night, and you wouldn’t bet against the former Sassuolo star returning. However, to err on the side of caution, Juve may give Hans Nicolussi his first massive opportunity.

Inter Milan boast one of the best midfields in Europe – good enough to have made the Champions League Final in 2022/23. Nicolussi will have his hands full as the anchor against the control of Nicolò Barella, Hakan Çalhanoglu, and the timeless Henrik Mkhitaryan.

He won’t be alone, though. Weston McKennie and Adrien Rabiot need to step up in the big game, especially the latter. He wants to make a lot of money, but he’s way too spotty in the crucial fixture. That needs to change.

On the right side, Andrea Cambiaso changed the game a few weeks ago with a late matchwinner against Hellas Verona. He will need to be very active on both ends of the pitch to deal with the jack-of-all-trades threat that is Federico Dimarco – a former Verona star, by the way.

Forwards

FW Moise Kean

FW Federico Chiesa

We’ve been seeing a lot more of the good Moise Kean this season. In that Verona game, he could’ve had a hat trick if it weren’t for the disallowed goals. Kean has been everywhere all at once this campaign, showing more hunger and more consistent technical execution. When luck adjusts to be on his side, watch out.

Federico Chiesa is better than what we’ve seen this season. The flashes are there, but Max Allegri hasn’t facilitated the Italian superstar’s best position. Even in a front two, Chiesa has the quality off the dribble to change the game against Inter Milan. His performance could decide Juve’s fate on Sunday.