Serie A: Time for Inter to Show Who They Are

Inter Milan vs Fiorentina

Inter Milan’s Serie A title challenge needs a boost. With just one league win in six games, the reigning champions have slipped to third place in the table and time is running out.

Simone Inzaghi’s team is four points off the pace with a game in hand, and the two teams above them are capable of going on long winning runs, as they showed at the start of the campaign.

But I Nerazzurri can’t do much about the form of AC Milan and Napoli and they must take care of their own business. And a home game against eighth-placed Fiorentina is the perfect opportunity for Inter to show whether they are the Scudetto champions elect or have returned to the role of also-rans.

La Viola have struggled on the road of late but they are a dangerous side, winning 14 of their 28 games this campaign and they will push their hosts to the limit.

Talking Points

Inter feeling the pressure

Title rivals AC Milan and Napoli are both in action on Saturday and the Serie A 2022 betting odds will take another move if results don’t go as expected.

Right now. I Nerazzurri are still the favourites but at a slightly drifting price of 2.10, while leaders AC Milan are at 3.00 and Napoli at 4.10. But keep an eye on the advancing Juventus as the Old Lady is down to 11.00 after a recent surge.  

Simone Inzaghi took the Inter job in the knowledge that he was expected to retain the Scudetto won by Antonio Conte last year and it was all going to plan until the beginning of February.

Since then, the champions have won just one league game – a 5-0 hammering of bottom club Salernitana – and they have lost to AC Milan and drawn with Napoli in the process. 

A trip to Turin to face mid-table Torino last week didn’t bring the hoped for result and Inter were moments away from defeat until Alexis Sanchez scored the equaliser deep into stoppage time.

The Chilean striker will be pushing for a start alongside top scorer Lautaro Martinez as Inzaghi searches for the winning combination. The boss will have to cope without midfield enforcer Marcelo Brozovic and defender Stefan de Vrij as both are struggling to shake off calf injuries.

Crashing out of the Champions League to Liverpool in the Round of 16 was another recent blow to Inter’s confidence but they can now have a crystal clear focus on their Scudetto quest.  

Biraghi out for Fiorentina

Vincenzo Italiano has led La Viola to within two points of the European places with 0 games remaining, having picked up 10 points from the last six.

But the visitors will be without influential midfielder Cristiano Biraghi for this game as he is ruled out with a knee injury.

Biraghi has become La Viola’s top scorer with four since the sale of Dusan Vlahovic to Juventus, but the January signing of striker Kryzsztof Piatek has given Fiorentina fans a new hero.

The Poland star penned an on-loan deal to move from Bundesliga strugglers Hertha Berlin and has scored three goals in seven games for Fiorentina, including a clinical strike in a 1-1 draw with Hellas Verona and he’s sure to lead the Viola attack at the San Siro on Saturday.  

In the absence of Biraghi, the veteran midfielder Giacomo Bonaventura will be the focal point of the Viola’s play and he’s made four assists so far this season. 

History

Inter have enjoyed the better of the head-to-heads, winning 30 of the last 55 meetings, while Fiorentina have won 12 and drawn 13.

The last time the two teams met, Inter won 3-1 on match day five in Florence. Riccardo Sottil gave Fiorentina a lead but goals from Matteo Darmian, Edin Dzeko, and Ivan Perisic gave I Nerazzurri a comfortable victory.

Inter have won the last four encounters with La Viola and have an unbeaten run of 11 matches stretching back to 2017.  

In terms of recent form, the visitors are faring slightly better with three wins from the last six to Inter’s two in all competitions.  

Betting Tip

The hosts are at a SBOTOP price of 1.44 to take the points, while the draw is at 4.07 and Fiorentina out at 6.37 to win.

With a poor recent run of Serie A 2022 results and an exit from the Champions League, Inter Milan are not in the best shape. And now they have a simple task: which is to outperform Milan and Napoli over the remaining weeks of the campaign. But they won’t find this game easy against a side pushing for Europe and with a lighter weight on their shoulders.

 

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