Inter Milan rounded out their two-game visit to Western Australia with a hard fought 2-1 win over Juventus in the Derby d’Italia.
Goals from Federico Dimarco and Andy Diouf gave the Serie A Champions a two-goal lead and they survived some late pressure to claim bragging rights in front of 50,325 spectators at Optus Stadium.
Francisco Conceicao netted what turned out to be a late consolation goal for Juventus who left it too late to mount a comeback.
Inter looked the sharper of the two teams early on and Nicolo Barella, impressive in the Milan Derby, tried his luck with a volley from outside the box but failed to hit the target.
Juventus’ first effort on target came on 18 minutes when Edon Zhegrova picked up the ball on the right side of the penalty area. He cut inside and fired in a shot that was straight at Ivan Provedel.
The deadlock was broken on 20 minutes when Federico Dimarco netted his second goal in as many Perth games. Ange-Yoan Bonny made space on the left with a neat stepover, and his well-placed cross was turned home by Dimarco.
Just after the half hour mark, Hakan Calhanoglou struck a fierce free kick from all of 30 yards that forced Michele Di Gregorio into a save low to his right. The Juventus goalkeeper was called into action again minutes later, this time turning away a shot from Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Kenan Yildiz was quiet for most of the half but came to life momentarily eight minutes before the break when he flashed a strike from distance wide of goal.
It might be only preseason, but there was plenty of feeling on the pitch that culminated in some push and shove between Zhegrova and Dimarco towards the end of the half.
Juventus freshened things up at the break and began the second period on the front foot with exciting teenager Kerim Alajbegovic forcing a save from Provedal from a tight angle.
However, it was Inter who struck again just after the hour when great hold up play and a pass by Sebastiano Esposito released substitute Diouf whose shot squirmed under the body of Di Gregorio.
It should have been three when Diouf got free down the right and found Matteo Lavelli with a low cross, but the young forward missed the target from close range.
With six minutes to go, the throng of Juventus supporters finally had something to cheer about when Fabio Miretti released Conceicao and the Portuguese winger finished well between the legs of Inter’s substitute goalkeeper Josep Martinez.
Juventus piled on the pressure with Alajbegovic having a shot saved by Martinez, before 18-year-old Inter defender Leonardo Bovio denied Randal Kolo Muani with a brilliant last-ditch challenge.
Two unbeaten games in Perth, as well as a penalty shootout win over Manchester City in Hong Kong, leaves Inter in great shape ahead of their title defence which gets underway in three weeks.
Juventus, on their first visit to Perth, will have a chance to bounce back when they take on Palermo at HBF Park on Tuesday night in the final game of Calcio Italiano.
Juventus: Michele Di Gregorio; Pierre Kalulu, Gleison Bremer, Lloyd Kelly, Andrea Cambiasso; Manuel Locatelli, Douglas Luiz Soares, Edon Zhegrova, Weston McKennie; Kenan Yildiz, Jonathan David.
Substitutes: Mattia Perin, Carlo Pinsoglio, Sebastiano Nava, Zeki Celik, Francisco Conceicao, Teun Koopmeiners, Randal Kolo Muani, Jeremie Boga, Arkadiusz Milik, Kerim Alajbegovic, Fabio Miretti, Daniele Rugani, Arthur Melo, Juan Cabal, Augusto Owusu, Javier Gil Puche, Justin Oboavwoduo, Adin Licina, Arman Durmisi.
Inter Milan: Ivan Provedel; Benjamin Pavard, Leonardo Bovio, Alessandro Bastoni; Luis Henrique, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco; Sebastiano Esposito, Ange-Yoan Bonny.
Substitutes: Josep Martinez, Raffaele Di Gennaro, Matteo Farronato, Aleksandar Stankovic, Piotr Zielinski, Carlos Augusto, Yann Bisseck, Mattia Marello, Yvan Maye, Davide Frattesi, Luka Topalovic, Andy Diouf, Jamal Iddrissou, Matteo Lavelli, Mattia Mosconi.
