Inter edged past Juventus at the Meazza in a thrilling Derby d'Italia, a clash not without controversy. The match was marked by a highly generous sending off for Pierre Kalulu, which left the Bianconeri playing with ten men for over half the game, inevitably influencing the course of the encounter.

Both coaches made one change in midfield: for Inter, Chivu opted not to risk Çalhanoglu, who had just returned from injury, instead relying on Sucic. In Juventus' midfield, Miretti took the place of the injured Thuram.

The match quickly heated up and delivered excitement. In the 17th minute, the Nerazzurri took the lead with a stroke of luck: Inter went ahead thanks to an own goal from Andrea Cambiaso. Luis Henrique received the ball from Thuram on the right and attempted a through ball into the box, but the defender's involuntary touch wrong-footed Di Gregorio.

Nine minutes later, however, Andrea Cambiaso made amends, scoring the equalizer for the Bianconeri: from Weston McKennie's cross, David couldn't reach it, and the wing-back anticipated Luis Henrique, beating Sommer from close range and restoring parity.

The half-hour mark offered further thrills: Yildiz attempted a curling right-footed shot, but Sommer stretched to parry the ball. Inter responded immediately: Thuram delivered a through ball for Zielinski, who beat Di Gregorio with a delicate touch, but Kalulu cleared off the line.

In the 42nd minute, the incident that ignited controversy: Kalulu received a second yellow card for a foul on Bastoni, leaving the Bianconeri with ten men. Subsequent replays showed a simulation, but VAR could not intervene to overturn the red card.

At the start of the second half, despite being a man down, Juventus came incredibly close to scoring with three consecutive chances: Andrea Cambiaso aimed for the top corner, but Sommer saved; McKennie, just yards from goal, squared it, but the defense cleared; finally, another attempt from the American was again blocked by Sommer. Inter, with a full-throttle attacking 4-3-3 formation, pushed the Bianconeri deep into their own half, searching for the winning goal.

The goal came with fifteen minutes left: from Dimarco's cross, Pio Esposito turned in the box and fired the ball into the top corner, where Di Gregorio could not reach it, restoring Inter's lead.

Juventus responded in the 83rd minute through Manuel Locatelli, assisted by McKennie, who struck a first-time shot into the bottom corner, restoring parity once more. However, in the 90th minute, Piotr Zieliński unleashed a powerful left-footed shot from the edge of the area, slotting it into the corner and leaving Di Gregorio rooted to the spot: a spectacular goal that secured the victory for the Nerazzurri.

With this victory, Inter extended their winning streak in the league to six consecutive victories and consolidated their first-place position, maintaining an eight-point lead over the second-placed team. A night of emotions, twists, and controversies, which will long remain in the memory of Derby d'Italia fans.

Pio Esposito

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