WE'VE sealed another stellar signing for the season with Serie A don Paolo Bandini bringing his expertise to the site thanks to our partner Unibet.
Paolo is an Anglo-Italian sportswriter who pens a superb weekly Serie A column for the Guardian and his other credits include ESPN, the BBC and TalkSport as well as making regular appearances on the Football Weekly podcast.
He's a Trevi Fountain of knowledge and we're delighted to have him on board. Here he previews the derby d'Italia.
Inter v Juventus (Sat 7.45pm)
Could there be a more perfect moment for the Derby d’Italia? Juventus, reeling from a home defeat to Napoli which cut their lead at the top of Serie A to just a single point, obliged to travel next to the home of their historic rivals, who themselves were already fighting desperately to get back into the Champions League. Inter begin the weekend one point outside the top four.
The pressure on both teams is enormous. Juventus received a visit from a delegation of Ultras at their Vinovo training ground on Wednesday. Although the tone was broadly of encouragement, chants calling on players to demonstrate their testicular fortitude sounded less like a request than a demand.
Was it only a little courage that Juventus were missing against Napoli, though, or something more? Players understood the importance of that match, yet for the first time in seven years at the Allianz Stadium failed to register a single shot on target. Paulo Dybala was anonymous, and his place here in doubt, though much will depend on the formation chosen by manager Max Allegri.
Juventus will definitely be without Giorgio Chiellini, a prospect which should enthuse Mauro Icardi. Despite failing to net in either of the last two head-to-heads, the Argentinian still has seven goals in 10 Serie A games against Juve. He scored when they last met at San Siro, helping Inter to a 2-1 win. The Bianconeri have not won away to Inter in three attempts.
Paolo's Tips
- Inter 2, Juve 1 (10-1, Unibet)
- Icardi to score first (24-5, Unibet)
- Both teams to score (21-25, Unibet)
Anglo-Italian Paolo Bandini writes about Italian football for the Guardian and his tips appear here thanks to our football partner at MrFixitsTips, Unibet. They're making a big splash in the UK betting scene and if you join them today you can claim up to £30 in Welcome Bonuses when you deposit and place your first bet.
Which one of those tips would you lump on Paulo??
Me i wont be lumping on any.When the chips are down JUVE knuckle down.1-0 Juve.