"Good evening, dear viewers. I’m your host Liu Teng. We’re now starting a live connection with our reporter from Turin, Italy."
"XX, can you hear me over there?"
"Through the broadcast lens, we can see that the atmosphere on-site is quite intense! Of course, you might put this intensity in quotes, because as soon as the camera switched over, we saw excited fans throwing eggs at Inter’s bus."
"Yes, teachers, I also saw that as soon as Inter’s bus arrived, it was besieged by Juventus fans."
"You could say the cheers that Juventus’s bus receives are just as strong as the boos that Inter’s bus receives."
"And I heard that they were throwing things at the window where Tang Long is seated. Let’s hope Tang Long won’t be mentally affected by this."
Huang Jianxiang chimed in:
"This is quite normal, you know this is Italy’s national derby! Forget rotten eggs, Liu Teng, if a Juventus fan were to fire a rocket launcher at Inter’s bus, it wouldn’t be surprising!"
"I’ve been commenting on Serie A at CCTV for 20 years, and I can say the intensity of the national derby even surpasses the Milan Derby."
"Compared to the two in-city rivals in Milan, the hatred between Inter Milan and Juventus runs even deeper."
Fans are already entering the stadium one after another.
At this moment, the broadcast has switched to show the TIFOs displayed by the fans on both sides!
Juventus’s stance is straightforward, as they still display their pre-match slogan. A big banner reads:
"42 points, that’s the gap between Inter and Juventus!"
This is to mock how last season Juventus not only broke Serie A’s seasonal record of 102 points, winning the championship, but also left Inter Milan trailing by a full 42 points!
As for Inter Milan, their alternate slogan is somewhat special:
"We never steal titles, nor have we ever been relegated to Serie B!"
Seeing Inter Milan’s slogan, Huang Jianxiang couldn’t help but smile knowingly.
"It’s 2015 now, and this Inter’s TIFO instantly brings my thoughts back to the telephone scandal 10 years ago."
"In the 2005-06 season, Juventus was relegated to Serie B for match-fixing, and teams like AC Milan and Florence were implicated, while Inter Milan was awarded the championship for that season."
"Afterward, Inter Milan dominated Serie A for three whole years, reaching their peak in 2010 by winning the treble."
"But times have changed, and Inter subsequently fell into serious financial crisis, while Juventus, after returning from Serie B, steadily climbed back up, winning the Serie A championship in the 2011-2012 season, and achieving a three-consecutive championship run."
"If there are no surprises, they will achieve a four-consecutive championship this season, which is truly a remarkable achievement."
"Jianxiang, what are your thoughts on the flow of this match? Can you predict the score?" Liu Teng asked.
"Haha, aren’t you putting me in a tough spot? Right now, I’m sure many of Tang Long’s fans are staying up late in front of the TV watching the Inter match, just like us."
"But I’m not afraid of offending anyone. To be honest, I’m confident in Juventus’s victory!"
Huang Jianxiang began his analysis.
"Juventus players’ overall strength is still above that of Inter’s, and they’re playing at home, so they have both time and geographic advantage, although Inter Milan still has a chance to win, relying solely on their unity!"
"How do you understand this unity factor?" Liu Teng followed up.
"Since Tang Long was promoted from the youth team to the first team during the winter break, Inter Milan has been chasing bravely, recently achieving an impressive winning streak in the league, consistently narrowing the gap with Napoli in third place."
"Especially in the last game, Inter Milan played very pragmatically, Mancini ensured both Tang Long and Icardi, key players, received sufficient rest. The current Inter is definitely a united, very competitive team, steadily progressing toward their season goals under Mancini’s leadership."
"If they can unite as one, I believe they can definitely pose a threat at Juventus Stadium."
"The score prediction hasn’t been made yet, Jianxiang." Liu Teng deliberately pushed Huang Jianxiang to give a score for the program effect.
"Haha, I know what you’re up to. I’ll just say it. I predict Juventus will win at home, 3-1!"
- "Huang Jianxiang hasn’t even started the match but already predicts a Juventus victory."
- "If I remember correctly, Huang the Evil should be a fan of Juventus, so of course, he’s confident in Juventus."
- "Let me be fair, Huang Jianxiang isn’t a fan of Juventus, he should be considered a fan of Serie A and the Italian national team."
- "Huang Jianxiang’s analysis is pretty objective. Juventus’s strength is far above that of Inter’s; otherwise, how could they be at the top of the league? The ranking is the best reflection of strength."
- "Jianxiang’s mention of unity as a key factor is worth deep consideration. Indeed, as long as Inter Milan is united, it’s not impossible for them to win in Turin."
- "The key will be whether Tang Long and Icardi can connect; as long as they play well, I believe there won’t be any issues."
- "Here’s a suggestion for Mancini: keep Pirlo under close watch."
- "True, in their first league encounter in round 15, Pirlo’s masterful performance disrupted Inter Milan’s entire defense! To suppress Juventus’s threat, the key lies in suppressing the midfield Pirlo!"