Inter Milan keep pace with Juventus as Serie A title race heats up

While Juventus remain top of Serie A, Inter Milan are trying to keep pace just as the title race is starting to heat up.

Inter Milan have become known as a club stacked with talent that just can’t get over the Christmas hangover. The team’s title challenge appeared to be dented after being held to a 1-1 draw to close out January, part of a midseason slump that has become all too typical for Inter Milan in recent years.

Over the course of the past eight seasons, Inter have only once managed to win more than one Serie A game in January.

“We often lose awareness because of tiredness,” Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic told reporters last month. “But we could have finished off these matches earlier.”

Thankfully for them, Napoli stunned league leaders Juventus and the defending champions came into this past weekend with just a three-point edge at the top of the standings. Inter Milan won on Sunday, downing Udinese 2-0. At the same time, Juventus blanked Fiorentina 3-0. That leaves Juventus with the same points advantage.

Juve play at Verona this coming Sunday, while Inter are at Lazio the following day in what will be a much tougher match.

It was a big win for Inter Milan since Handanovic was out due to injury. Udinese created a number of chances, enough to have taken a lead, but the Nerazzurri defense came up big. In the second half, it was Romelu Lukaku’s brace that made the difference, a player that has increasingly become an X-factor for a team that moved on from striker Mauro Icardi over the summer.

This was a game the team would have somehow lost in the past. Instead, Inter Milan may be shaking off those post-holiday blues and find themselves with momentum on their side. At the same time, Juventus have been mostly back to their usual winning ways.

Indeed, February brings with it the promise of more Inter victories as Antonio Conte’s side tries to trip up Juventus ahead of their meeting on March 1 in Turin. In between, Inter Milan have to show that they are a team capable of competing for the title by grabbing as many wins as possible over the coming weeks.

Failure to do so could leave the door open for Juventus to capture another scudetto and make the title race another mundane affair. Inter fans are desperately hoping the players are up to the challenge. Neutrals also hope for it just so they can witness a championship that is determined during the final few weeks of the season.

Conte’s biggest task, aside from any slumps that may re-emerge, this season is to turn a bunch of Premier League castoffs into a championship team. Conte made the most of the January transfer window in the hopes that it will be enough to compete with Juve head-to-head this season. Those ex-Premier League players include the quartet of Christian Eriksen, Ashley Young, Alexis Sanchez and Lukaku.

“There is not much money, the director has been clear. We must be good at finding situations that can bring us benefits,” Conte said recently. “We must find cheap opportunities, otherwise I see it being hard. The ideas are there. If there is the possibility, we will improve. What you can’t get with money you have to get with intelligence and wit.”

Inter Milan now has to hope they have enough intelligence and wit to outsmart Juventus for the Serie A title.