Del Piero Calls For Mental Strength
Friday 26th October 2001
Juventus have now gone a month without a win in Serie A and the prospect of facing an Internazionale side looking to avenge last week's 4-2 defeat by rivals Milan is not one coach Marcello Lippi will be looking forward to.
Only a month ago, Lippi's confidence knew no bounds. "There are so many competitions to win," he said then. "It is like a table laid with many delicious dishes and we are really hungry."
How times have changed. Since beating Chievo, Juve could only draw with Lecce in a bad-tempered affair, were humiliated at home by Roma, saw Torino come from three down to draw in the derby and failed to find a way past Bologna.
Three draws and one defeat that have turned Juve's early hopes to despair.
"It's hard, it's very hard to play a crucial match every three days," Lippi says now. "We have too many tough matches, maybe something needs to be changed.
"I don't know what, but we must find a solution, perhaps a greater choice of substitutes or the opportunity to change more than three players during the game."
The 3-1 midweek win over Porto and qualification in the Champions' League has restored some confidence, but not all.
"On Saturday we face Inter and they have had a whole week to prepare for the match," Lippi said. "They come from the defeat in their derby, it's true, but that only means that we'll face an angry team, resolute in restarting immediately. It will be a really hard and a difficult challenge for us.
"What especially worries me is that my players will approach this match without the clearness of mind or serenity of their opponents. On this side, the mental one, I have a lot to worry about."
Alessandro Del Piero's scintillating form is the main reason for Juve optimism, Lippi added.
"Alex has become our guiding light, the real leader of the team," he said. "The players appointed him to this office and he has accepted it completely. He is the real captain of the team."
The return to form of Pavel Nedved is another plus. "He is playing with great passion and his condition is improving," Lippi said.
"Against Porto he was always looking to score and he is close to returning to the Nedved that we have all admired during the past few years. I'm very happy for him and, of course, for us."
On Tuesday Del Piero became the top scorer in Europe for Juve, his first-half free kick taking him to 28 goals, one more than Pippo Inzaghi and Roberto Bettega.
But Pinturicchio, the painter, does not attach any importance to such records. "They are good for your old age," he said curtly.
"What's important is that we have qualified in the Champions' League and we have now the chance to improve our form in the league by beating Inter.
"It's always the same in football. After our draw with Bologna everybody turned on us, after our win against Porto everybody exalted us.
"We must keep our psychological balance inside this hot and cold shower and remember that by defeating Inter we can get ahead of them. Of course it will be not simple at all as we'll meet a team that is fired up and looking for revenge."
Lippi has only one doubt ahead of the match. Paolo Montero was unable to train on Thursday because of blow he received to the ribs against Porto.
The Uruguayan defender is still in pain and Mark Juliano is expected to replace him. Gianluca Pessotto will come back on the left side of defence in place of Michele Paramatti.
Inter side Hector Cuper, meanwhile, is desperate to write the wrongs of last week's 4-2 defeat.
"Facing Juve immediately after that defeat with Milan is perfect for us," the Argentine coach said.
"I want to see my team react immediately. We must not stop. We have the chance to show that derby was an isolated result. Matches like that are not usual, you can have two like that during a whole season and nothing after them."
Cuper, however, refuses to accept that his players will react any differently after that defeat.
"That unlucky derby hasn't changed us," he said. "We didn't suffer any defeats before it and we are the same team that conceded just five goals in six matches before then.
"I trust in the way we have been working and we have to concentrate on the first half of that game, when we pressed well, were well organised and created some good chances. What worries me is only that breakdown in defence that cost us two quick goals."
Once again, Ronaldo will be absent from the side. The Brazilian played for half an hour in his return against Brasov before pulling a muscle in his thigh.
"We decided together, Cuper and I. It's no surprise," Ronaldo said. "I will continue to work towards my comeback. We'll see on Sunday, when we start to prepare for the Uefa Cup match against Wisla Krakow."
Cuper will trust again in Mohammed Kallon and Nicola Ventola up front not the inspirational pairing Inter fans dream of, but a partnership that has shared eight goals in the first seven league games.
Cuper is likely to make a number of changes for the trip to the Stadio delle Alpi. Greek defender Grigorios Georgatos has dipped in form and is likely to make way for Vratislav Gresko, the Slovakian defender who played very well against Wisla in the Uefa Cup. With Gresko on the left side of defence and Ivan Cordoba on the right, Dario Simic could partner Marco Materazzi in the centre.
In the midfield Stephane Dalmat returns from suspension and Cristiano Zanetti could replace Gigi Di Biagio. The young former Roma midfielder has recovered from his lengthy muscle injury before which he appeared to be Cuper's first choice.
Juventus (probable): Buffon, Thuram, Tudor, Montero (Juliano), Pessotto, Zambrotta, Tacchinardi, Davids, Nedved, Del Piero, Trezeguet
Internazionale (probable): Toldo, Cordoba, Simic, Materazzi, Gresko, Javier Zanetti, Cristiano Zanetti, Dalmat, Guly, Kallon, Ventola
