Juventus have been nothing short of a disaster since the start of the new year as their supposed Scudetto challenge has withered into ashes and hopes of a Champions League place are dwindling too.
However, the Bianconeri always tend to raise their game against their eternal rivals Inter and having returned to winning ways last weekend by defeating Cagliari 3-1 in Sardinia, Luigi Del Neri's side will hope to destroy the Nerazzurri in Turin on Sunday evening.
With 38 points from 24 matches, Juventus find themselves outside the top six in the table and four points behind fourth-placed Lazio. A win on Sunday will not only inject a healthy dose of confidence in the Old Lady, but it will also keep them in the race for a top-four finish and cause a dent in Inter's championship aspirations.
Defender Giorgio Chiellini underlines the importance of the three points and explains: "We have to continue the improvement we showed at Cagliari against a very confident Inter side.
"Winning would give us a huge confidence boost, especially because we would be taking points from a direct rival. It is a massively important game for us, both for our place in the standings and for our fans."
Catch Us If You Can
Former Juventus transfer chief Luciano Moggi, though, reckons that Inter have more than enough quality and strength in their squad to get the better of Juventus. With the Nerazzurri having been resuscitated by Leonardo since his advent as the Inter coach on Christmas Eve, there is little chance of a Juve win in Turin, he claims.
"My heart is beating for Juventus, but my technical judgement favours Inter," Moggi wrote in his Tuttomercatoweb.com column. "The Nerazzurri are more of a team and are stronger, they also have extraordinary players.
"Wesley Sneijder's return has restored the play in Leonardo's squad. They are more fluid and offer spectacular football as a result."
Inter are currently on a four-game winning streak and defeated Roma 5-3 last weekend to close the gap on leaders Milan to just five points with a game in hand. The defending Italian and European champions have lost just once under Leonardo - that's one defeat and nine wins in 10 competitive fixtures.
Winning in Turin, though, won't be easy for Inter, who have lost four games on the road in the league this campaign. But with the team in perfect spirits and key midfielder Wesley Sneijder having returned from injury with a bang, the Milanese side will commence the encounter the favourites of the two teams.
TEAM NEWS
Juventus
Rinaudo, De Ceglie, Quagliarella, Traore and Iaquinta are injured and will sit out the visit of Inter.
Inter
Stankovic, Mariga, Lucio, Samuel and Milito are unavailable because of injuries and will not travel to Turin. Chivu remains suspended.
Prediction
Form-wise Inter are the favourites but this kind of fixture doesn't follow the form-book. The team that turns on the style on the day will be the one to collect the victory. Given that they are at home, Juve should bag the points but Inter are on a winning streak and they should be able to muster at least a point.
Juventus 2-2 Inter Milan 
