Matri previews Juve-Inter

Former Juventus striker Alessandro Matri explains why Andrea Pirlo gets along with Cristiano Ronaldo, but believes the Nerazzurri will be more motivated than the Old Lady this evening.

Matri played with Andrea Pirlo at Juventus when Antonio Conte was in charge of the Bianconeri.

“Andrea was a silent leader,” the former striker told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“It’s not easy to coach Juventus, I’ve always thought he would need time, but he has already left his mark.”

The Juventus tactician seems to get along with Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Andrea has bonuses that come from his great career as a player. He and Cristiano speak the same language, there is great respect from Ronaldo. Of course, he will never be happy if Pirlo replaces him, but this is part of his nature, he accepts it eventually. We understand that there is great harmony between them.”

The Old Lady host Inter in the decider of the Coppa Italia semi-finals this evening.

“A one goal-lead is not enough to feel safe,” Matri said.

“Both teams would want to prove themselves, Inter will be more motivated because they lost the first leg and they can rely on Romelu Lukaku. It was surprising to see how he has settled in in Italy. It is thanks to Conte who has worked so much on him.”

Who is the favourite to win the Serie A title? “I see Inter, Juve and Milan on a par. Maybe Juve have something more because they have a deep squad that allows Pirlo to rotate his team massively.”