Juventus vs Inter: Spalletti's Challenge in Pre-Season Clash
Luciano Spalletti did not bother dressing it up. On the eve of a Derby d’Italia played on the other side of the world, he looked straight at the reality of Serie A and called it as he sees it.
Inter, he insisted, are still the benchmark.
“These are the sorts of games that help you understand a lot about the mentality of the team and whether or not we're working in the right direction,” the Juventus coach said in Perth, where his side will meet the Nerazzurri in a pre-season clash on Saturday. “Obviously, Inter are a very strong team like Chelsea, so we will need to be a team in every moment of the game because Inter will find advantages if we're not compact.”
A pre-season friendly in name, perhaps. In Spalletti’s mind, though, this is an examination. A chance to measure how far his Juventus have travelled, and how far they still have to go to reach the level of the reigning domestic powerhouse.
Yildiz to get more minutes
One of the main points of intrigue is Kenan Yildiz. The young attacker has become a symbol of Juventus’ new direction: younger, more mobile, less reliant on a single star to decide games.
Spalletti confirmed that the 19-year-old will see more of the pitch against Inter than he did against Chelsea in Hong Kong.
“He will play more than he did in the game against Chelsea,” the coach said. Training on Friday came with some absentees, not through alarm but through caution. “We were without three or four players in training today to manage their workloads and the fatigue that is accumulating. It's not easy to organise these sorts of events. They take extra effort and we'll have to discuss it over the next few days to see how we've recovered.
“I will see after the game tomorrow whether he will be a starter (in the league), but I think I will let him play for a half, or almost a half.”
It is a clear signal. Yildiz is not just along for the tour; he is being pushed towards a central role in Spalletti’s project, with the coach using high-level friendlies as a proving ground rather than a showcase.
Market talk: Circati and a crowded squad
The questions inevitably turned to the transfer market and the links with Parma centre-back Alessandro Circati. Spalletti’s answer cut through the speculation.
“He's a promising young player who has shown a lot of great qualities and he could also be of interest to any club,” he acknowledged. Then he shut the door. “But right now, we only have a couple of strong routes in our sights and those do not concern him. We can't create alternative situations at the moment because we have a very large squad.”
The message is blunt. Juventus admire Circati, but they will not add for the sake of adding. With numbers already swollen, Spalletti wants clarity, not clutter.
Life after Vlahovic: goals by committee
If there is a fault line in this Juventus, it runs through the attack. Dusan Vlahovic has gone, replaced by Randal Kolo Muani and Jeff Ekhator, with Kerim Alajbegovic also arriving. The obvious question followed: where is the guaranteed 20-goal striker?
Spalletti does not appear haunted by that idea.
“I think we've signed players who collectively will be able to exceed those numbers,” he said. “It's not important to have somebody who scores 20 goals. This year, the season will be characterised by the fact that it will be played on Thursdays and Sundays, it will be difficult to always play with the same players.
The Europa League engages you even more than the Champions League. Even without a physical centre-forward, we have Ekhator who has a few of those characteristics, Kolo Muani commands the area. It's a bit of an open situation, but with the players we have available, with what we've done on the market, we'll be able to make up for it through everyone's collective work.
“Alajbegovic is somebody who can score goals. We want to help Kolo Muani's numbers. We're quite calm for the moment.”
That last line matters. Spalletti is betting on volume: of chances, of runners, of contributors. Kolo Muani to lead, Ekhator to offer presence, Alajbegovic to arrive and finish. No single talisman, but a rotating cast designed for a season that will demand constant changes between Thursday and Sunday.
Bastoni, old wounds and a new test
The build-up to any Juventus–Inter meeting drags old controversies to the surface, and this one is no different. The last time Spalletti faced Alessandro Bastoni, the defender’s reaction to Pierre Kalulu’s wrongful dismissal sparked anger and debate, his celebration etched into the memory of that match.
Asked whether any resentment remains, Spalletti refused to fan the flames.
“It will be simple, we will continue to do what we did after that game,” he said. “We didn't create any big aftermath, we didn't talk about the players' behaviour on the pitch. We just want to play a good game against the strongest side in our league and learn as many things as possible to get to their level.”
That line loops back to his opening theme. Inter as the standard. Juventus as the challenger, still learning, still climbing.
On Saturday in Perth, it will not be about points or trophies. It will be about posture. About whether Spalletti’s Juventus can look Inter in the eye, even in August, and start to resemble the team he insists they must one day catch.
