Inter Milan, one of six teams within two points of the Serie A top spot, will continue their title defense on Saturday as they visit Hellas Verona. While Inter were just a penalty away from topping the table before the international break, Verona have struggled recently, losing four of their last five matches and conceding goals at an alarming rate.
Inter Milan, sitting just one point behind their hosts in the standings, had a mixed outing in their last match, drawing 1-1 at home against league leaders Napoli. Hakan Calhanoglu played a key role by scoring a brilliant equalizer just before halftime, but his penalty miss in the second half ultimately cost them two points, ending his record streak of 19 successful penalties dating back to 2016.
Despite that setback, Inter had been on a strong run before that, winning their previous three matches against Empoli, Venezia, and Arsenal without conceding a goal. With 25 points from 12 games, they are still just two points behind the leaders in Serie A, though this is six points fewer than at the same point last season. Head coach Simone Inzaghi will be looking to get his team back on track with another winning streak, starting with this match.
Ahead of their trip to Verona, Inter are just two away wins away from matching the club’s record of 13 victories in a calendar year in Serie A. The Nerazzurri have also scored in each of their last 13 visits to the Stadio Bentegodi.
Verona, on the other hand, have had a tough time against Inter, having lost 40 of their previous meetings, with only four victories to their name. Their last win over Inter in Serie A came 26 games ago.
After a heavy defeat to Juventus, Verona have lost to Fiorentina, Lecce, Atalanta, and Monza in their last five matches, with a rare 3-2 win over Roma providing their only recent respite.
Sitting just three points above the relegation zone after 12 rounds, Verona have the worst defensive record in Serie A, conceding 2.25 goals per game—an ominous stat given Inter's attacking firepower. However, they have earned three of their four victories this season at home, which might give them a boost as they prepare for the champions' visit.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Inter Milan will be without Hakan Calhanoglu this weekend after the midfielder picked up a muscle injury while on international duty. As a result, either Italy’s Davide Frattesi or Albania’s Kristjan Asllani will take his place. Fortunately, wing-back Carlos Augusto is available again after recovering from a recent injury, so Simone Inzaghi should have a nearly full squad to select from.
Captain Lautaro Martinez, who has scored six goals in eight appearances against Verona, may be rested after returning late from Argentina's World Cup qualifiers. In his place, either Mehdi Taremi fresh off scoring for Iran or Marko Arnautovic could partner Marcus Thuram up front.
For Verona, they’ll be without key midfielder Ondrej Duda, who will miss the next few weeks due to an injury sustained while on international duty with Slovakia. In addition, Pawel Dawidowicz, Juan Cruz, and Martin Frese remain sidelined. However, Dailon Livramento is back in the squad after serving a suspension.
Leading Verona’s attack will be Casper Tengstedt, who has scored four goals since joining from Benfica in the summer, despite registering just five shots on target so far.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Tchatchoua, Coppola, Magnani, Bradaric; Belahyane, Serdar; Suslov, Kastanos, Lazovic; Tengstedt
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
EXPERT PREDICTION
Hellas Verona 0-2 Inter Milan
Given their poor record against Inter and their recent lack of form before the international break, Verona will approach this match with some apprehension.
Determined to maintain the pressure on Napoli and other title challengers, Inter are unlikely to slip up at one of their most successful away venues.
