It's only round 3 , but Serie A 2025/26 already has a Scudetto showdown at Allianz Stadium, where Juventus take on Inter Milan.

There, Igor Tudor and Cristian Chivu, the top central defenders who competed against each other on the Serie A pitch at the beginning of the century, were determined to show their ambitions.

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Juventus started the season very well. Photo: JFC

Juventus started the season with an unbeaten record, with the same 3-0 record as defending champions Napoli.

Although the opponents Parma and Genoa are not strong, Juventus's improvement can be seen clearly compared to when participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Juventus' victories were largely due to Dusan Vlahovic, who throughout the summer transfer window was constantly facing rumors of being sold. New signing Jonathan David also made a very positive debut.

Now, Tudor's Juventus will be tested for strength and character. After the Italian derby with Inter, the "Old Lady" will make their Champions League debut by hosting Borussia Dortmund.

On the contrary, Inter's start to Serie A has not been as expected. After a 5-0 win over Torino in their opening game, Chivu's team were surprisingly defeated 2-1 by Udinese at Giuseppe Meazza, despite Denzel Dumfries scoring an early opener.

From the Club World Cup to Serie A, Chivu's Inter have fallen short of expectations and are vulnerable compared to Simone Inzaghi's period.

“ I didn’t come here to change things , ” Chivu countered when compared to Inzaghi. “ If possible, I want to add something so that Inter can improve and restore confidence in the players . ”

Referring to the Italian derby, Chivu said: “We need to face Juve with the right calm and energy.”

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Inter unexpectedly lost to Udinese. Photo: IPA

The 44-year-old former defender stressed about the Italian derby and the impact on the Scudetto: "Serie A is long, like a marathon, we are only in the third round . The result in Turin must not change the perception of the team's goals."

Juventus are without Cambiaso through suspension, while the highly- rated Chico Concei is also likely to be absent and is expected to be replaced by Koopmeiners .

On the other side, Chivu is expected to introduce new player Manuel Akanji to increase the quality of the defense. Bonny and Pio Esposito also create competition for the starting position.

At Allianz Stadium, the Italian derby promises to be a cautious match with safety being a top priority and there will be no shortage of fierce action.

Force:

Juventus: Cambiaso is suspended; C oncei c cao, Zhegrova, Miretti, Cabal, Milik are injured.

Inter: Full staff.

Expected lineup:

Juventus (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Gatti, Bremer, Kelly; Kalulu, Khephren Thuram, Locatelli, McKennie; Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Jonathan David .

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan , Dimarco; Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez.

Match odds: 0 0

Goal ratio: 2 1/4

Prediction: 1-1 draw .

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nhan-dinh-bong-da-juventus-vs-inter-vong-3-serie-a-2442067.html