Sunday's Milan derby will be unlike any seen for much of the past decade: a battle between two genuine Scudetto contenders.
Inter head into the game, the 174th league meeting with their city rivals, at the top of Serie A. They are just a point above Milan, with 16 rounds remaining, after a run of 12 wins in 15 games.
The last time these sides met in the top flight while occupying the top two positions in the table was back in April 2011, when a 3-0 win for the Rossoneri helped propel them to their most recent title.
Much of the focus will be on star strikers Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. They scored all three goals in Milan's win in the reverse fixture and clashed on the pitch in the Nerazzurri's more recent Coppa Italia triumph.
However, according to esteemed former Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi, the real star of the show might be found in Inter's midfield.
"Those looking for the prototype of the modern footballer should look at Nicolo Barella and they will be satisfied," Sacchi said in his column for La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"The Inter player plays for the team and with the team, he attacks and defends, attacks with courage and fights to win the ball back.
"I've been following Barella since he was a kid. He came into Italy's youth teams when I was the Azzurri's technical director. He was not a phenomenon, he was physically frail, he did not have an incredible technique, yet he managed to reach very high levels.
"This shows that at the base of any successful career there is always hard work, training, the spirit of sacrifice and the desire to improve day after day."
For Sacchi, Barella represents the paragon of the modern player. But what makes him so effective?
BOX-TO-BOX BRILLIANCE
Barella is enjoying the best season of his career in terms of goal involvements, with three scored and eight assisted in 32 games in all competitions. Only five Serie A midfielders have been directly involved in more goals.
The 24-year-old has created 42 chances from open play across all competitions this term, only Milan playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu (44) has more among players in Italy's top flight, while Barella has also completed 469 passes ending in the final third, the highest number of any midfield player among Italy's top-tier sides.
Of course, as part of a three-man central midfield under Antonio Conte, creating opportunities is not enough (just ask Christian Eriksen). And, as Sacchi pointed out, Barella's impact is equally impressive when it comes to keeping the opposition away from your own goal.
He is third among Serie A midfielders for tackles won in 2020-21 (35, behind Adrien Rabiot and Marten de Roon), and third for duels won (175, behind Juraj Kucka and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic). That's a continuation of combative play honed at Cagliari, where, in his final two seasons, he was top of the league's midfield rankings with 480 duels won.
"COURAGE"
Sacchi spoke glowingly of Barella's bravery, of how an unassuming youngster developed into Serie A's most influential midfielder so early in his career.
He's right – there's a boldness to Barella's play that sets him apart.
In Serie A this season, he has completed 87 progressive carries in which the ball was moved between five and 10 metres up the pitch, which is the most of any attacking midfielder in the league. Twelve of his carries have ended in a chance being created, the fourth-best tally among players in his position.
These kinds of plays help Inter keep possession and limit the risk of losing the ball in dangerous areas. Indeed, Conte's side have faced only 18 shot-ending high turnovers of possession in Serie A this term, the lowest figure in the league, while only Napoli (230) and Juventus (212) have faced fewer pressed sequences than the Nerazzurri (232).
Once in more promising positions, Barella is still the man pulling the strings. His tally of shot build-up involvements – a measure of a player's involvement in sequences ending in a team-mate's shot on goal or chance created – stands at 60, the most of any attacking midfielder in the league.
Looking at sequences where players are involved in the build-up and also create the chance at the end, Barella is third in the division for his position with eight, just two behind Lorenzo Insigne and Ruslan Malinovskiy.
CONTE'S LIEUTENANT
Barella's eagerness to be at the heart of matters on the pitch extends to when Inter don't have the ball – at both ends of the pitch.
As well as being third among midfielders this term for tackles and duels won, Barella is fifth for regaining possession, having done so 168 times. When it comes to winning back the ball in the final third, he is top of the pile with 26 (both across all comps).
This, too, helps to set the tone for Inter's approach. In Serie A in 2020-21, they have made 190 high turnovers, a tally bettered only by Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta pressing machine (251). Plus, only Atalanta (129) and Juve (128) have had fewer high turnovers against them than Inter (130). It's an impressive combination, and Barella is integral to it.
As Sacchi said: "A detail that is far from negligible is the desire to put the group at the top of one's thoughts and, in this way self-centeredness, a disease of modern football, is fought and defeated.
"Barella is proving to be a driving force."
Furious Flick says Barcelona were fortunate to draw at Celta
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick said his errant players only had themselves to blame for their 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo in LaLiga, adding they were fortunate to even escape with a point.
Barca opened a two-goal lead thanks to efforts from captain Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, but after Marc Casado was sent off in the 82nd minute, the hosts fought back with two late strikes.
Alfon Gonzalez and Hugo Alvarez were on target as Celta denied Barca the chance to move eight points clear at the summit, and Flick said his side could have few complaints.
"It wasn't only the last few minutes, we played a really bad game tonight," Flick told DAZN.
"If you don't play at 100% you can't win. That's just the way it was the whole game. We have to be honest.
"These things happen. It was a bad game. The players are not happy. Everyone can play better than what we did today. You have to stay focused. Sometimes it may seem that what we do is easy, but it is not."
Flick would not point fingers at Casado for the red card or defender Jules Kounde for a bad mistake that led to Celta's first goal. Instead, he criticised his side's collective effort and performance levels.
"The red card and Kounde's mistake are just a consequence of the bad game from the team. We made a lot of mistakes and lacked confidence on the ball throughout the match," Flick said.
"We didn't play the football we are used to but we were lucky with some situations and in the end got a point but we have to react because it cannot be repeated.
"I hope what we saw today doesn't have a negative impact in our Champions League game against Brest on Tuesday. We have to learn with the mistakes we move on."
Barca top LaLiga with 34 points, five ahead of Atletico Madrid in second and seven ahead of third-placed Real Madrid, who have two games in hand.
'In eight years we never lived like this' – Guardiola shocked by City drop-off
Pep Guardiola admits he has been surprised by Manchester City's alarming dip in form, saying: "In eight years we never lived like this".
Guardiola is in the midst of the longest losing run of his managerial career, with City suffering a fifth straight defeat in all competitions on Saturday as they were thrashed 4-0 by Tottenham.
They have also lost three Premier League games in a row and could end the weekend eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool, who visit bottom club Southampton on Sunday.
It is their worst run in the competition since they lost three straight between February and March 2016, when they finished fourth under Manuel Pellegrini.
"In eight years we never lived this. I knew sooner or later we would drop," Guardiola said after Saturday's game.
"I never expected to lose three Premier League games in a row but we have been incredibly consistent again and again and again.
"Now we cannot deny the reality that sometimes happens in football and life is here."
City's drop-off has coincided with star midfielder Rodri – who won the Ballon d'Or last month – being sidelined by an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Guardiola's side did not lose any of the 34 Premier League matches in which Rodri appeared last season, winning 27 and drawing seven, though they lost three of four when the Spaniard was absent.
Each of City's last six league defeats have come when Rodri has not featured, but former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes their poor run cannot be totally blamed on his injury.
"We've seen City lose the odd game here, but we've very rarely seen them outplayed in every department, but that's what we're watching," pundit Neville told Sky Sports.
"They look well short. As short as I've seen them since Pep's first season. I've not seen them as bad as this, how they've been in the last few weeks.
"He will have wanted that international break to come, thinking it would be a reset moment. But now here, it further entrenches the opinion this is a City side currently in decline.
"This is more than just Rodri, far more."
Caribbean Premier Showcase offers scholarship opportunities for Jamaican athletes
Coaches from over 35 colleges and universities in the United States are scheduled to scout for players and offer scholarship opportunities, through the Caribbean Premier Showcase (CPS), that will be held over three days at three locations across the island come January 2025.
The Caribbean Premier Showcase was founded two years go with the goal of connecting soccer players with college coaches in expanding opportunities for Jamaican athletes. The showcase began under another name and started only at St. Elizabeth Technical High School for all male soccer players in Jamaica.
That same year the Caribbean Premier Showcase team was invited to the islands of Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago to bring the same opportunities for their high school soccer athletes. Shortly after these stagings the showcases were rebranded to Caribbean Premier Showcase (CPS) reflecting the organizations commitment to the Caribbean.
Rajay Maragh, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner at CPS, said the major objective is mainly bringing players and coaches together to create opportunities for recruitment. Players he said get to see show their skills live, interact with coaches, gather information and processes all with the intention of securing a scholarship to study and play overseas.
“The process is heavily based on the coaches whereas the showcase is not limited to anyone local school or conference but rather each athlete is given the same access, playing time and information to showcase their talent. Once completed coaches will reach out after, gather additional data and also create a player profile of they wish to proceed,” Maragh said.
“There is also the academic check with takes place after, each school have their own admission processes and requirements which crates the second stage of follow up to make sure the student is eligible for recruitment,” he added.
All the members of the CPS team received academic and sports scholarship at some point to attend and or player soccer overseas. Maragh said they understood the value, the complexity and the opportunities showcase like CPS can create and felt the need to pass it on, as it is important for the continuity and development of the region.
Colleges confirmed so far include Iowa Western College CC, Wright State University NCAA DI, Eastern Kentucky University NCAA DI, Pearl River CC, Tougaloo College CC, NYU, UCON NCAA DI, Comberland University NAIA, Lincoln University NCAA DII, Concordia NCAA DII, Missouri Valley NAIA, New College Florida NAIA, Baker University NAIA, Johnson County CC, Lindenwood University NCAA DI, Missouri State University, Keiser University NAIA, Hampton University (Womens Soccer) NCAA DI, Maine Maritime University (Women Soccer) NCAA DIII, Ruben Gap (High School), Broward College CC, Hill College CC, Ranger College CC, Allen CC, Southeastern CC, NIU (NCAA DI), Fairleigh Dickinson University NCAA DI, Daytona Beach CC, North Eastern Community College CC, Daemen College CC, Central Community College CC.
Professional coaches include Atlanta United, Houston Dynamo and CSF Spartanii Sportul (Moldovan Super League).
The Caribbean Premier Showcase will be held on January 8, 2025 at the St. Elizabeth Technical High School; on January 9, 2025 at the Horace Burrell Facility in Kingston and on January 11, 2025 in association with the Inter Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), All DaCosta Cup versus All Manning Cup teams.
Maragh said their team while focused on the Caribbean have been invited to help with other showcases; this past May in Athlone, Ireland and next year in Portugal, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda.
The application process is now open and athletes can register online at carribeanpremiershowcase.com:
https://www.caribbeanpremiershowcase.com/event-page
Persons interested in being apart of the project can email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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