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19 wins in 24 games
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When football fans discuss the best teams in Europe, it's natural for those to look at Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Real Madrid. Rarely do Inter Milan get the recognition they deserve, despite being Champions League finalists in 2022/23, Serie A champions in 2020/21 and 2023/24, and the Coppa Italia winners in 2021/22 and 2022/23.
Maybe they prefer it that way, being the underestimated opposition capable of springing a surprise. But it's not often that a team been so consistent in Italian football and simultaneously dismissed as an elite outfit. Ahead of the Derby d'Italia on Saturday against Juventus - their last one at the iconic San Siro - they have a chance to prove it once and for all.
Chivu's impact
Head coach Cristian Chivu spent the majority of his career playing in Italy and knows the league like the back of his hand, having made an impression with Parma in his first job in management before taking charge of Inter in 2025. Despite a rocky start to his reign, the ex-Inter defender has a strong hold on this team and the results prove it.
They have won 11 of their last 12 Serie A games, with only a 2-2 draw against Napoli stopping them achieving a perfect run. Inter are five points clear of city rivals AC Milan, while champions Napoli are nine adrift. Their opponents tonight, Juventus, are 12 points behind and any realistic hope of a challenge will disintegrate if they are on the wrong end of a victory. What looked like a close title race, with five teams in the mix at one point, now looks to be heading in one direction only.
For all their positive points, Inter are not unbeatable. The Nerazzurri have lost four of their 24 games in the Serie A this season, but the crucial point is they have emerged victorious 19 times as well. It's fair to say a criticism aimed at their previously coach, Simone Inzaghi, was that while he was one of the best they have had in recent memory, a lot of their matches ended in stale draws with uninspiring football. But Chivu has taken this team to the next level by killing off their opponents in dominant fashion, with five clean sheets in their last eight and 22 goals scored in that time. That is the makeup of a team gunning for trophies.
Martínez, Dimarco in form
Their star players have produced the goods too. Lautaro Martínez has been on fire this season and the Argentinian is in a one-horse race to secure the Capocannoniere, the Italian equivalent of the Golden Boot. The 28-year-old has hit four goals in as his last four league matches, with 14 for the season overall. He will be looking to improve on his record against Juventus, which stands at four goals in 21 matches since arriving in Italy seven years ago.
His teammate Federico Dimarco has also found a second a wind in his career. After suffering a slight dip in form last year, the Italy international, 28, has been rejuvenated this season and has registered an incredible 19 goal involvements in all competitions, with six goals and 13 assists. While he might not be as glamorous as other players in his position, Dimarco is one of the key components of this Inter team, both defensively and offensively.
Building for the future
The Romanian coach has made it his mission to build a team capable of competing for years to come, and that's been reflected in the club's transfer strategy. Compared to their European rivals, Inter spent modestly with a total expenditure of €96.6 million. Six of their seven summer signings were under the age of 23, including Ange-Yoan Bonny, the exciting talent snapped up from Parma for €23 million.
While it is fair to say the likes of €22.8m signing Luiz Henrique and €20m acquisition Andy Diouf haven't exactly taken off since joining, those signings for relatively low-risk fees ensures Inter will at least have a chance to make their money back if it doesn't work out.
Juve's recent decline
Compare that to Juventus, a club that has been in disarray for the past five years with financial difficulties limiting their activity in the transfer market and a series of head coaches passing through the revolving doors in Turin. Luciano Spalletti was a sensible hire given his vast experience as a head coach in Italy. But even he has been unable to guide the Bianconeri back to the dominant days under Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri so far.
Of course, Juve are blessed with a number of individually-gifted players such as Kenan Yıldız and Francisco Conceição who can deliver moments of magic at any point. And it should be pointed out that Juve are unbeaten in their last three games against their long-time rivals. But Inter's combination of a sturdy backline and potent strikeforce might make this derby more one-sided than many would expect. If they win convincingly, perhaps then Chivu's men will finally get the praise they deserve.
