The most successful side in the Serie A history, Juventus, have been a major disappointment in the domestic league this season as they lie on 12th place with eight points only. Their climb to the top of the standings is not going to get any easier as they prepare to face Inter Milan at the San Siro on Sunday.
This is not the start the defending champions were looking for, however, they can draw inspiration from their last two games in all competitions as they defeated Manchester City (Champions League) and Genoa (Serie A).
Inter Milan, on the other hand, have been brilliant in the Series A as they have only lost once this season.
Though the game between the two sides is a huge one for both Inter and Juvents, the visitor's manager, Massimiliano Allegri, believes Sunday's game will not decide the title.
"This is by no means an all-or-nothing match. We do need to be realistic at the moment. We have to aim to get to March and be in with a shout for the Scudetto but tomorrow's game is not going to decide who wins the title," said Allegri.
The Derby d'Italia has always been one of the biggest games in the Serie A watched by around 80,000 people in the stadium and thousands around the world. Allegri wants his team to come up with a strong performance.
"It's a fantastic one to be involved in - it's the Derby d'Italia. We'll be playing in front of 80,000 people plus everyone else watching on TV around the globe. There's plenty of incentive for us to do well. We must make sure we perform strongly and play the right way. We can't go to Milan and not be on our game."
Juventus, who lost some big guns such as Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez in the summer transfer window, have been trying to get their act together but they have been far from impressive.
However, they need to find their feet as early as possible and play quality football to challenge for the title this season.
Inter Milan have a chance to go top of the table if they defeat Juventus, who have embarrassingly won only two matches. Despite Juve's poor record, Roberto Mancini, Inter manager, is aware of the threat the Bianconeri's bring to the table. "It's a big match and we'll need to be on top of our game because we're playing a team that has won the last four Serie A titles," said Mancini.
"It's imperative that we maintain complete concentration from the first whistle to the last because there are hidden dangers at any given moment in each fixture. Beating Juventus would boost morale, while also providing a good indication of our chances of staying in the upper reaches of the table," he added.
Both the teams have some injury concerns coming into the Derby d'Italia. Juventus' Stephen Lichtsteiner and Mario Mandzukic are set to miss the match while Inter Milan's Felipe Melo fitness a cause of concern for Mancini.
Irrespective of the teams, which shall be picked for the fixture, one can expect an entertaining encounter at San Siro.
Where to watch live
Inter Milan vs Juventus Serie A game has been scheduled for 8:45pm local time (12:15am IST, 7:45pm BST, 2:45pm ET) start with live TV coverage in India on Sony Six.
Viewers in the UK can watch Inter Milan vs Juventus live on BT Sport Europe, while US viewers have the luxury of watching the Inter Milan vs Juventus on beIN Sports USA with live streaming on beIN Sports connect.
Viewers in Italy can watch Inter Milan vs Juventus on Sky Sport1/HD Italia.
