Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte insists Juventus remain the benchmark ahead of Sunday's blockbuster.

The Nerazzurri sit ahead of Juve in second place on the table.

“It's going to be a game between two teams with the ambition to fight for something important," said Conte.

“Every match is important and they are always three points up for grabs. Inevitably, Juventus represent a reference point for everyone, as they dominated in Italy in recent years. When a team wants to understand what level it is at, inevitably the only reference point in Italy is Juventus.

“I don't want to point to favourites, we simply have to respect a side that has dominated for nine years and wants to dominate for another year. Respect is the least we can give Juventus for all they've done, especially as in recent years it's been a foregone conclusion in Serie A.

“We closed the gap on them last season and hope we can do the same, because I remember times when Juve were 20-25 points in front of everyone and that was not good to see.

“No team in Italy can say they completely closed the gap with Juventus, but we're getting closer. They dominated for nine years and also worked well off the field, bringing in the likes of Federico Chiesa, Alvaro Morata, Dejan Kulusevski and Weston McKennie. They deserve credit for improving every single year."