Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio insists the league leaders will not be fooled by Inter’s disastrous start to the season when the two meet in the ‘Derby of Italy’ tonight.
Unbeaten Juventus sit a point clear of Udinese and Lazio at the top of Serie A after eight matches while Inter are fifth from bottom.
But Marchisio, whose brace a couple of weeks ago saw Juve defeat their other traditional rivals Milan, doesn’t believe anything should be read into the current table.
“No-one should trust Inter’s position in the table, they’re a huge team and they’ll give their all against us,” he said.
“We have to face them with the same desire and intensity we’ve shown in our last few matches. We want to maintain our lead in the table and we must have no fear.”
Since being relegated for match-fixing in 2006, Juve have struggled to reclaim the heights they had become accustomed to. They earned promotion back to the top flight at the first attempt and followed it with third and second place finishes.
But they finished seventh in the last two seasons and missed out on European qualification altogether last term.
Even so, Marchisio is dreaming of winning the title and a victory away to Inter would go a long way to demonstrating that Juve are ready.
“I want to win the league, this year we’re not in the cups (Europe) so I really hope we do it,” he said.
“My team-mates, the staff, the fans and I all really believe. We’ve had two terrible seasons and this year we can’t mess up.
“(Coach Antonio) Conte has brought us conviction and the Juve spirit, when we score he celebrates with us on the pitch.
“He fires us up, he knows the place well, he knows what it means to wear this shirt and he’s brought that across well.”
Inter centre-back Lucio admits the Nerazzurri are struggling but claims they haven’t been helped by the changes early in the season.
Coach Gian Piero Gasperini was fired after just five games in charge and replaced by Claudio Ranieri.
“Ahead of the game against Juventus we’re under pressure,” Lucio said.
“This year we had a coach who came with new tactics, a different way of playing and after losing three or four games, he left. Everything changed, we’re in a difficult moment but we have to adapt to our current situation.
“I think everyone’s worried because we’re used to being at the top of the league and right now we’re a long way away.”
In other games, Milan travel to Roma with their coach chastised despite his team banging in eight goals in two games.
Milan beat Lecce 4-3 and Parma 4-1 but chief executive Adriano Galliani still felt compelled to remind coach Massimiliano Allegri that the team with the best defence, rather than the best attack, usually wins the league.
Milan are one of several teams who could end the weekend on top of the pile.
They are only two points off top, alongside Napoli who travel to Catania.
Second-placed Udinese, who host Palermo, and third-placed Lazio and Cagliari, who face each other in Sardinia, are the others with top spot in sight.
Fixtures
Serie A
Playing Today
Catania vs Napoli - 18.00
Inter vs Juventus - 20.45
Roma vs Milan - 18.00
Tomorrow – 15.00
Bologna vs Atalanta
Cagliari vs Lazio - 20.45
Fiorentina vs Genoa
Lecce vs Novara
Parma vs Cesena
Siena vs Chievo - 12.30
Udinese vs Palermo
Standings: Juventus 16; Udinese, Lazio 15; Napoli, Milan 14; Cagliari 13; Genoa 12; Roma, Catania 11; Siena, Palermo 10; Atalanta, Fiorentina, Chievo, Parma 9; Inter 8; Bologna 7; Novara 6; Lecce 4; Cesena 3.
Serie B
Played Yesterday
Ascoli vs Modena 0-1
Bari vs Pescara 0-2
Today – 15.00
Brescia vs Reggina
Cittadella vs Verona
Crotone vs Padova
Livorno vs Gubbio
Nocerina vs Sampdoria
Sassuolo vs Grosseto
Torino vs Empoli
Varese vs Juve Stabia
Vicenza vs AlbinoLeffe
Standings: Torino 26; Pescara 25; Padova 23; Sassuolo 21; Reggina 20; Sampdoria 18; Grosseto, Bari 17; Brescia 16; Livorno, Varese 15; Cittadella 14; Verona, Modena 13; Crotone 12; Noce-rina, Juve Stabia, AlbinoLeffe, Gubbio 10; Empoli 8; Vicenza 7; Ascoli -1.