Juventus v Inter under the microscope

MILAN – As we await tonight’s Derby D’Italia, we’ve put together some facts and figures about the game with the help of our friends at Football Data.

Chiellini set for 400th career appearance
Giorgio Chiellini will play his 400th match as a professional footballer if he features against Inter tonight. The Italy defender has worn the colours of Livorno, Fiorentina and Juventus, clocking up 251 Serie A appearances, 79 in Serie B, 24 in the Coppa Italia, 42 in European competition and three in other tournaments. He made his debut on 12 August 2001, in Palermo 3-0 Livorno (Coppa Italia).

Quagliarella eyeing 100 in black and white
Fabio Quagliarella could turn out for Juventus for the 100th time if he is involved this evening. The striker has so far collected 81 appearances in Serie A with the Bianconeri, seven in the Coppa Italia and 11 in European competition. His first game for the club was on 29 august 2010 in Bari 1-0 Juventus.

Juventus’ 34-match scoring streak in Serie A
The Bianconeri have found the net in each of their last 34 league games (across last season and the current campaign) racking up 72 goals in the process. The last time they drew a blank in the championship was on 16 February 2013: Roma 1-0 Juventus.

Serie A’s three most decisive players on the field
Juventus v Inter could see Italy’s three most decisive players all on the pitch together. Vidal has contributed to 19 points to Juve’s cause with his goals while Llorente’s goalscoring exploits have brought home 13 points, the same number that Palacio’s efforts have provided Inter with.

Inter’s 315 goalless minutes on the road
Since Nagatomo bagged Inter’s second in the 45th minute of their 4-2 defeat at Napoli on 15 December, Mazzarri’s men have not hit the back of the net in 315 minutes of competitive football on their travels. The Nerazzurri fired blanks in the second half at the San Paolo and in the three following away games (all 1-0 defeats) at Lazio and Genoa (Serie A) and Udinese (Coppa Italia).

Nerazzurri still awaiting first penalty of the season
Inter are one of the two remaining teams yet to be awarded a spot-kick in the 2013/14 Serie A (Chievo are the other). It’s a particularly incredible statistic for Mazzarri’s side, considering that they have one of the best attacks in the league (38 goals). The Nerazzurri’s last penalty came on 8 May 2013 (23 rounds ago), Alvarez missing from 12 yards in the 1-3 defeat at Lazio.

Inter winless in 2014
The Nerazzurri have not registered a victory since the turn of the year, having drawn two and lost three of the five matches played in Serie A and the Coppa Italia. Their last win was in the Milan Derby: 1-0 over the Rossoneri on 22 December 2013.

Conte has upper hand but was sacked after losing to Mazzarri in 2010
In the eight previous match-ups in competitive fixtures between Antonio Conte and Walter Mazzarri, the Bianconeri coach is slightly ahead in results: he has three wins to his name, while the Nerazzurri boss has two and there have been three draws. Conte’s first defeat at the hands of his counterpart came at a particularly heavy price though: he was sacked immediately after Atalanta 0-2 Napoli on 6 January 2010.

Good record for Conte in the dugout against Inter, his last opponents as a player
Antonio Conte faces Inter for the seventh time in his coaching career tonight. His record is positive (W3, D2, L1) and his teams have scored in all of those games (nine in total). The Nerazzurri were also the opposition for Conte’s last match before hanging up his boots: Juventus beat Inter 2-3 at the San Siro on 4 April 2004, the midfielder featuring for the last 18 minutes after replacing Camoranesi in the 72nd minute.

Advantage Bianconeri over Mazzarri
As a coach, Walter Mazzarri has locked horns with Juventus 20 times before today, winning five, drawing eight and losing seven.