Juventus' astounding unbeaten run finally came to an end this evening as at the 50th attempt, a Serie A side was able to defeat La Vecchia Signora. Goals from Milito and Palacio were enough to cancel out Vidal's early goal and earn all three points.
The home side got off to a flyer in this game, taking the lead before the Inter Milan players could even lace their boots. Almost straight from kick off, and after some neat interplay between Giovinco and Vucinic, Asamoah found himself in behind the sleeping Nerazzurri backline. The left wing back's shot - come - cross found the late run of Arturo Vidal who was able to tap the ball into the empty net. Inter Milan were a goal down before they could even touch the ball.
Inter Milan were left reeling after this early goal, and Juve looked to wrap up all three points in the opening ten minutes. Claudio Marchisio was given two wonderful chances to grab the second goal by his midfield partner Andrea Pirlo; but failed to take either of them. His first opportunity presented itself after a wonderous first time, lobbed through ball from Pirlo, but the Juve number 8 sliced his volleyed effort straight at Handanovic, and a corner, rather than a second goal was the reward for some great play by the home side. Just little over a minute later, another typical Pirlo through ball found an unmarked Claudio Marchisio in the penalty area, but after an exquisite take, Il Principino was unable to gain any real purchase on the ball and Handanovic comfortably gathered the ball.
On the 12th minute, just as Juventus' dominance was beginning to dwindle, the Nerazzurri thought they had drawn level. A clever, quick costless kick from Esteban Cambiasso from the left hand side of La Vecchia Signora's penalty area was met by Rodrigo Palacio, who was called up on being fractionally offside by the linesman, and the goal was chalked off.
A set piece was nearly the undoing of Juventus once again minutes later. After a short corner from Cambiasso; Antonio Cassano's effort from the edge of the area in "Alla Del Piero" territory narrowly missed the far top corner of Gianluigi Buffon's goal.
The tempo of the game descended into a velocity which in turn blurred the attacking threat of both sides, as the Serie A's top two teams struggled to keep the ball for any significant period of time.
Despite Inter Milan's ascendency into prominence at the Juventus Stadium; it was the home side who nearly grabbed a second goal on the stroke of half time. After a careless pass across the face of the penalty area by Zanetti resulted in a farcical misunderstanding between Juan Jesus and Nagatomo, Vidal almost capitalised with a ferocious effort from outside the area; but Handanovic was able to get a strong hand on the ball. This save proved pivotal as it kept Inter Milan within touching distance of Juventus going into the half time interval.
Juventus were forced into a change at half time, with the injured Mirko Vucinic having to replaced by Nicklas Bendtner. This essentially nullified any threat the home side hoped to pose to the Inter Milan goal in the second half.
A foothold was taken in the second half by the Nerazzurri, who threatened the Juve goal in the opening exchanges of the half. An uncharacteristic defensive error by Chiellini, whose loss of posession in an advanced area, left Bonucci and Barzagli to attempt to fend off the threat of three on rushing Inter Milan strikers. Milito was able to find his attacking partner, Rodrigo Palacio, on the edge of the box but his effort flew just over the crossbar.
Inter Milan were finally rewarded for their attacking endevours on the 58th minute, when a penalty was awarded to the visitors for a tug by Marchisio on the shirt of Milito. The Argentine striker converted the resulting penalty and the Nerazzurri were level.
The visitors gained complete control of the fixture on the 75th minute, after Milito bagged his second of the afternoon. A lung busting run from Guarin, allowed the substitute to force Buffon into a save; whose parry fell to Milito, who made finished off the move with consumate ease.
Juventus attempted to rally and find an equalizer, but the closest that the home side came to a second goal was a long range effort from Pirlo which was tipped around the post by Handanovic.
The home side's toothless attack was not matched by Inter Milan, who made their lead unassailable through Rodrigo Palacio's neat finish after a sweeping counter attack lead by the impressive Nagatomo.
This result leaves Inter Milan trailing Juventus by just one point and heralds the Nerazzurri's arrival in the Scudetto race of 2012/13.