Inter Milan vs. Juventus: Winners and Losers from Serie A Game
Inter Milan and Juventus played to a 0-0 draw at the San Siro to close out the weekend in Serie A on Sunday.
The hosts enjoyed the better spells of possession and chances in the first half, while the visitors controlled the second half. However, neither side could power a goal past the opposing goalkeeper over 90 minutes.
The draw placed the Nerazzurri into third place after eight matches. They are level on points with second-place Roma, while they are one off leaders Fiorentina. Juventus moved into 14th place on nine points after eight matches.
Here's a look at our winners and losers from Sunday's stalemate in Milan.
Winner: Juan Cuadrado
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Juan Cuadrado was the most active player in the Juventus attack on Sunday as he relentlessly ran at the Inter defense looking to find a hole in order to score.
While the Colombian may not have threatened Samir Handanovic himself much, he was able to set up his teammates on a few occasions. Unfortunately for the Bianconeri, they were unable to capitalize on the opportunities created by Cuadrado.
Cuadrado's play improved as the match went on as Juventus created most of the scoring chances in the second half.
The play of the winger was a big positive for Juve heading into their UEFA Champions League home clash with a dangerous Borussia Monchengladbach side on Wednesday.
Loser: Mauro Icardi
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Mauro Icardi delivered a disappointing shift up top in front of the home supporters at the San Siro on Sunday.
With the captain's armband on, Icardi failed to show up in one of the club's biggest matches of the season.
Icardi finished with zero shots and only 20 touches, per WhoScored, in the scoreless draw that may be viewed as a loss in the eyes of some Inter fans.
Sunday's match presented the Nerazzurri with a golden opportunity to earn three points against a struggling rival, but they were not up to the task, especially in the second half.
Winner: Stevan Jovetic
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Before Inter's attack went silent for most of the second half, Stevan Jovetic tried to get something going in the final third for most of the first half.
Jovetic was an absolute menace to the Juventus back four as he drew a few free-kicks in dangerous areas, but his teammates wasted his efforts to produce up top.
The forward's production dropped as the second half went on, but we have to give him credit for at least showing up in the first 45 minutes in an attempt to put his side ahead.
With Palermo on the horizon next week, Inter will be hoping they can get the same effort out of Jovetic in 90 minutes that they did in the first 45 on Sunday.
Loser: Roberto Mancini
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With his side in need of a spark in the second half, Roberto Mancini opted to hold on to his two remaining substitutions.
Mancini seemed content with picking up a point at home as he didn't bring on an attacking spark until the 91st minute, when Rodrigo Palacio entered the contest.
In a key match early in the season with the top spot in the table on the line, Mancini's train of thought was baffling at best.
In a major derby clash, earning three points at home is imperative. Mancini should have realized halfway through the second half that his team needed a new face to combine with Jovetic.
Instead, Inter dropped two points that may come back to haunt them later in the season.
Winner: Gianluigi Buffon
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Gianluigi Buffon was not tested much by the Inter attack, but when he was forced into action in the 29th minute, he made a terrific leaping save.
With his side on the back foot midway through the first stanza, Buffon used an acrobatic save to push Marcelo Brozovic's attempt from distance onto the crossbar.
Buffon popped up on a few other occasions during the match, but the denial of Brozovic was the top moment of the match for the Juventus goalkeeper.
The clean sheet recorded by Buffon helped boost the morale of a Juve side still searching for a positive string of results in league play.
Follow Joe on Twitter @JTansey90.
