Juventus Fear Post-Ronaldo Inter Backlash
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Copyright � 2000 Agence France-Presse
TURIN, Italy, April 14 (Reuters)(DS) - Italian league leaders Juventus will be wary of a post-Ronaldo backlash from Inter Milan when they clash this weekend, Juve defender Gianluca Pessotto said on Friday. "It's useless to deny that the catalyst this week has been Ronaldo's injury and it's right that it should be that way because its part of football," Pessotto said. "It's difficult to say how Inter will react -- whether it will increase their pride, as usually happens in this kind of circumstance or whether their minds will be elsewhere. "One thing is certain...they'll draw on all their strength to try to save something from their season."
Ronaldo tore a tendon in his right knee during Inter's Italian Cup final first leg match against Lazio on Wednesday. He had been on the pitch just six minutes after being sidelined for the previous four months with a similar injury. His collapse at the Olympic Stadium sent shock waves through the world of soccer and prompted of flood of messages of sympathy to the Paris hospital where he is being treated. Juventus will be facing an Inter side coached by Marcello Lippi, who guided the Turin club to three league titles in four years in the 1990s as well as the 1996 European Cup title. "For us, playing against Lippi doesn't have any special significance," Pessotto said. "It's like having any other coach facing us although of course he's good and he's motivated." Inter have failed to win in their last six outings while Juventus are three points clear of Lazio at the top of Serie A.
