Serie A Gameweek 22 is set to end with a potentially one-sided affair between Sampdoria and Inter Milan on Monday night.
Stadio Luigi Ferraris serves as the setting for this high-stakes match, as second from top meets with second from bottom in Serie A this Monday, with Inter Milan set to make the trip to Genoa to lock horns with Sampdoria, hoping to keep pace and maintain their runners-up position, albeit the gap between themselves and league leaders Napoli is too large.
Put simply, Sampdoria desperately need a win here as they continue to plunge deeper and deeper into the relegation zone with each passing week. After four losses in a row, Dejan Stankovic’s men were just moments away from recording their first league win since early January when a stoppage-time penalty threw a spanner in their works last Monday.
Matteo Pessina fired home a 99th-minute penalty kick to earn Monza a dramatic 2-2 home draw, leaving the Genoa-based outfit a whopping nine points off safety. With their 11-season Italian top-flight stay in serious peril for the first time in a long while, Stankovic’s job could be on the line if they extend their dismal six-game losing run at home against Inter.
In stark contrast to Sampdoria’s abysmal recent form, Inter Milan’s recent performances have been pretty impressive. Simone Inzaghi’s side have responded to last month’s setback at Monza with hard-fought 1-0 wins over tricky opponents in Atalanta and arch-rivals AC Milan in their last two Serie A outings. And their fine form should tell against Sampdoria.
A Scudetto push appears unrealistic at the moment. But they will look to extend their winning run in order to put pressure on Napoli and maintain their buffer over the other clubs vying for a top-four position.
The odds suggest the Nerazzurri should be a cakewalk. But they cannot take anything lightly given their average away record. Moreover, this has been a tricky tie for them in recent times, although they did smash them 3-0 in the Supercoppa Italiana in Saudi Arabia just last month and then went on to beat them 1-0 in the reverse league fixture at San Siro.
Team News & Tactics
Sampdoria
📝 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗘: Jesé Rodriguez joins Sampdoria on a free transfer! The Spaniard will wear the number 99 shirt. 🇪🇸
(📸 @sampdoria) pic.twitter.com/NJBHxOLyOh
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) February 10, 2023
If Sampdoria’s dismal run of form was not enough to dampen the optimism at Ferraris, injuries and suspensions have taken their toll on the Blucerchiati. Sampdoria will be without the services of several key players, including Fabio Quagliarella, Manuel De Luca, Andrea Conti, Ignacio Pussetto (knee), and Abdelhamid Sabiri (thigh), while Mehdi Leris is suspended due to over-accumulation of yellow cards.
Dejan Stankovic could deploy a 3-4-1-2 formation to balance his side’s defensive organisation ahead of the arrival of an Inter team brimming with offensive talent. Emil Audero should start in goal behind a back three of Bruno Amione, Bram Nuytinck, and Koray Gunter, flanked by wing-backs Alessandro Zanoli and Tommaso Augello, with the former replacing suspended Leris.
Tottenham loanee Harry Winks and Michael Cuisance will form the double pivot and a screen for the Sampdoria back-five. Attacking midfielder Filip Djuricic has a good record against Inter, having tallied three goal contributions in his last six outings. The Serb will look to engineer a few chances for the front two of Sam Lammers and Manolo Gabbiadini, with the latter fit and available to start.
With four goals this season, the Italian striker is Sampdoria’s top goalscorer, having netted both goals against Monza in the last game. He may provide an indirect threat from set pieces. Former Real Madrid and PSG forward Jese Rodriguez has recently been snapped up on a free transfer to bolster the hosts’ deflated attack.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Audero; Amione, Nuytinck, Gunter; Zanoli, Cuisance, Winks, Augello; Djuricic; Gabbiadini, Lammers
Inter Milan
Unlike his counterpart in the Sampdoria dugout, Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi has no new injury or suspension concerns to deal with ahead of the trip to Genoa. Long-term absentee Joaquin Correa is the only major casualty in the treatment room.
As such, Inzaghi has no reason whatsoever to change his winning formula for this one. So it should be a very familiar starting line-up, with Romelu Lukaku likely to be the only change from the XI that took to the field against AC Milan last time out.
This will be Lukaku’s first start since the opening game in January, as he has been recovering from a muscle injury picked up last month. The Belgian international returned to Inter on loan from Chelsea last summer but has failed to make an impact, struggling for form and fitness.
However, this might be his window of opportunity to impress, with Inzaghi looking to rotate and rest Edin Dzeko ahead of a tight schedule in the build-up to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg encounter against FC Porto.
"Mom, Look how high I can jump!" 🤩#ForzaInter pic.twitter.com/BoMjZOxEEu
— Inter (@Inter_en) February 11, 2023
Alongside Lukaku, his close friend Lautaro Martinez is an absolute certainty, given his superb domestic form in 2023, having netted the game-winning goals against both Cremonese and AC Milan.
Inzaghi also faces a selection dilemma in the middle of the park. Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been one of Inter’s most employed players this season, as the 34-year-old former AS Roma midfielder has been a steady and tireless alternative in Marcelo Brozovic’s absence.
With Brozovic returning from injury, the Armenian could be back to the bench in a supporting role as competition for midfield places heats up. The Croatian enforcer is likely to start at the base of the Inter midfield between Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella.
The width in attack will come from the two wing-backs Matteo Darmian and Federico Dimarco, with Denzel Dumfries another viable option available at Inzaghi’s disposal. There should be no tinkering at the back as well, with PSG-bound Milan Skriniar, Francesco Acerbi, and Alessandro Bastoni forming the three-man central defensive unit in front of Andre Onana.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Onana; Skriniar, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Dimarco; Lukaku, Martinez
Key Stats
- Inter Milan have won nine of their last 11 matches against Sampdoria across all competitions.
- Sampdoria have failed to win 20 of their last 22 Serie A matches.
- There is a difference of 17 places and 33 points between these two sides.
- Inter Milan have won four of their last six games to nil, including their last two league outings.
- The Nerazzurri boast an indifferent away record in Serie A this term (W5 D1 L4).
Player to Watch
Lautaro Martinez
Despite not shining during Argentina’s World Cup triumph, Lautaro Martinez is arguably having his best season from a scoring point of view in Italy. The Argentine hitman has scored 12 goals and provided three assists in Serie A this season.
Furthermore, Martinez has now scored four goals in the last five matches and is likely to pose an even greater threat against Sampdoria’s shaky defence. It is no wonder that top clubs like Manchester United and Tottenham are keen on signing him.
Prediction
Sampdoria 0-2 Inter Milan
With Lautaro Martinez in fine form and Inter Milan finding their groove, the visitors are overwhelming favourites to comfortably come away with three points against Sampdoria. Dejan Stankovic was brought in to halt the rot and help Samp climb up the ladder and, crucially, away from the relegation zone. But he has been unable to turn around their fortunes this season so far.
The ever-growing injury list has only made his task even more difficult. With a woeful tally of just ten goals to their name all season, Sampdoria are unlikely to cause much trouble to Inter’s backline, which has looked organised and solid lately. Everything indicates that this encounter could be more of a case of damage limitation as far as the hosts are concerned.
