Serie A leaders Inter Milan will seek to consolidate their hold on the summit when they face a potentially tricky tie against US Sassuolo Calcio on Wednesday night
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan will welcome US Sassuolo Calcio to the Giuseppe Meazza in a clash that could prove to be a potential banana peel for the Nerazzurri.
Inter Milan have had a spring in their step this season, and it has multiplied after the thorough dismantling of arch-rivals AC Milan earlier this month. They followed it up with a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad and a 1-0 win over bottom-placed Empoli.
The Coppa Italia holders are the early trendsetters for the Scudetto and will hope to consolidate their position at the top of the standings on the night. Sassuolo, meanwhile, are dark horses on their day and are well capable of springing a surprise or two.
In fact, their spirits will be up following the 4-2 win over Juventus at the weekend, a result that is well at odds with their inconsistent form throughout the season so far. However, it does exemplify the danger that the visitors possess, leaving Inzaghi with no option but to be on his guard. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on Sunday and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Milan
Ale 🤝 @MarcusThuram #ForzaInter pic.twitter.com/jjFQAfbV4q
— Inter (@Inter) September 26, 2023
Simone Inzaghi’s men have the early momentum in this year’s race for the Scudetto and will hope to pull away before the schedule gets steeper towards December.
Napoli, Juventus and AC Milan have all shown vulnerabilities this season, leaving the Nerazzurri in a strong position to capitalise. Sassuolo are the embodiment of Jekyll and Hyde in Serie A and have been a bogey team for Inter in recent years.
Putting them to the sword will certainly boost hopes amidst the Inter faithful that a title charge could very well be on the cards. Inzaghi has a nearly fully fit squad at his disposal with Stefano Sensi and Marko Arnautovic the only men ruled out. Veteran Juan Cuadrado is expected to be in contention and could come off the bench if needed.
Inter are unlikely to deviate from their tried and tested 3-5-2 formation for the game. Yann Sommer should start in goal behind the back three of Benjamin Pavard, Stefan de Vrij and Francesco Acerbi. Alessandro Bastoni and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are in line for a well-earned rest as games come thick and fast.
Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco are expected to reprise their roles on the wing, with Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu and Davide Frattesi holding the fort down in the middle of the park. Finally, Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez have built up a good rapport upfront and should reprise their roles in the attack.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, de Vrij, Acerbi; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Frattesi, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram
US Sassuolo Calcio
Sassuolo did well to earn a 4-2 win against Juventus last time round that saw them rise to the 11th spot in Serie A. The Neroverdi have won two of their opening five games in Serie A this season and are capable of turning up the heat when needed.
Alessio Dionisi’s men have the ability to derail Inter’s momentum and will return to the Giuseppe Meazza, a venue where they have won four of the 10 meetings with Inter so far. However, the last two times they faced the Nerazzurri in the league in September, both games were lost 7-0, something Sassuolo will be keen to avoid this time around.
First-choice goalkeeper Andrea Consigli will be back available after a two-game suspension and Augustin Alvarez remains unavailable. Sassuolo have an otherwise full-strength squad to choose from.
Mister Dionisi prima di #InterSassuolo🎙️
💬 «Con coraggio e personalità dobbiamo essere il miglior Sassuolo per mettere in difficoltà l’Inter»
📺 https://t.co/BuorPFAJNO#ForzaSasol 🖤💚
— U.S. Sassuolo (@SassuoloUS) September 26, 2023
The 4-2-3-1 formation is the way forward. with Alessio Cragno in goal. He should be protected by the defensive quartet of Jeremy Toljan, Martin Erlic, Ruan Tressoldi and Matías Vina.
Daniel Boloca and Matheus Henrique should form the double pivot with the trio of Domenico Berardi, Nedim Bajrami and Armand Lauriente aiming to cause havoc upfield. Andrea Pinamonti also scored against Juventus and should retain his spot at the head of the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Cragno; Toljan, Tressoldi, Erlic, Vina; Boloca, Henrique; Berardi, Bajrami, Lauriente; Pinamonti
Key Stats
- Sassuolo have won eight of their last 20 games against Inter Milan in Serie A. Only Hellas Verona have a better record against the Nerazzurri in this timeframe.
- Inter Milan have won five of their last six games against Sassuolo in Serie A.
- In the 10 games played between both sides at the Giuseppe Meazza, both teams have won four games each while drawing the remaining two.
- The last two times both teams faced off against each other in Serie A in the month of September ended with Inter winning 7-0 on both occasions. This is Sassuolo’s worst defeat in terms of a scoreline in the top flight.
- A win on the night will see Inter Milan win their first six Serie A games of a campaign for the third time in their history.
Player to Watch
Domenico Berardi
The Italian ace is a pocket dynamo who can turn up the heat on his day. He scored at the weekend against Juventus and will hope to add to his tally against Inter Milan on Wednesday.
Berardi has an excellent record against the Nerazzurri, having netted seven goals against them in Serie A. This is the most of any active player in the Italian top flight and Inzaghi’s men will need to be at their best to keep that number static.
Prediction
Inter Milan 1-1 US Sassuolo Calcio
Inter struggled to break down both Real Sociedad and Empoli and will come up against a Sassuolo side whose defence is quite suspect. However, the visitors should have their tails up after stunning Juventus and are expected to take the game to the Nerazzurri. It should be an entertaining game with both sides settling for a share of the spoils.
