Football: Inter end Juve’s unbeaten run

MILAN: Juventus’s hopes of extending their unbeaten streak to 50 games ended in emphatic style in a 3-1 defeat to Inter Milan on Saturday. In 10 previous games this season Juve had conceded only five goals as they set out their stall for what looked like a successful defence of their Serie A title. But despite opening the scoring through Chilean international Arturo Vidal in a dominant first half, the Turin giants were outplayed after the interval, with Diego Milito grabbing a brace and Rodrigo Palacio firing home their third in the 89th minute to reduce Inter’s arrears to just one point. Juve’s Angelo Alessio, the stand-in coach while Antonio Conte sits out a lengthy touchline ban, was left rueing missed opportunities. “Unfortunately we lost after 49 games, but Inter took their chances and we didn’t,” said Alessio. “They will certainly be in the Scudetto race to the end.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2012.