Serie A high-flyers Fiorentina are set to face their toughest assignment of the season yet, as they host Inter Milan, with the two teams level on points.
The Serie A title race is on a different level compared to the other top five leagues. The competition is at a high level, as four teams are on 28 points and only a single point behind leaders Napoli. Fiorentina and Inter Milan among those four, and the latter are in a tremendous run of form.
With a win on Sunday, the Viola can match a club record of eight consecutive top-flight victories set way back in 1960, although they face their toughest challenge yet in the form of reigning champions Inter Milan. Not many would have envisaged the form Fiorentina are currently on, as they are level on points and goal difference with the Nerazzurri after 13 games.
Fiorentina also managed to stay inside the top eight of their Conference League campaign, and on current form, they are one of the favourites to lift the European trophy. However, manager Raffaele Paladino will want his team to lend their focus completely to this crunch league fixture, as they have a chance to stay close to Napoli and go above Inter Milan on Sunday.
More importantly, Fiorentina will be wary of starting the game slowly, as Inter Milan have been ruthless in the first half of games this season. Simone Inzaghi’s men have scored 18 times in the first half this season in Serie A alone and put five past a hapless Hellas Verona side last weekend.
Inter Milan come to Florence with a record of four straight victories at this venue, and with another, they could become the first side in Serie A history to achieve five in a row against Fiorentina. The Nerazzurri are also unbeaten in their last 12 games, including eight matches in Serie A, since their loss to AC Milan.
Inter Milan also kept their superb run in the UEFA Champions League going, as they secured their fourth win in five games as Inzaghi’s men climbed to the second spot. They have also yet to concede a goal in the competition, as the manager will want to see another stellar performance from his players as they aim to keep pace with the top order as well as open up a gap over Fiorentina in the standings.
Team News & Tactics
Fiorentina
Raffaele Palladino has not burdened some of his key stars with UEFA Europa Conference League games, meaning the likes of David de Gea, Moise Kean, and Robin Gosens are all in line to return to the team to take on Inter Milan. Amir Richardson is the only player unavailable for Fiorentina for the game on Sunday. However, Icelandic attacker Albert Gudmundsson could return to action after missing the last few weeks with an injury.
AC Milan-owned midfielder Yacine Adli is also expected to recover in time from a minor problem to feature for Fiorentina, as he could return to the starting lineup. He could play alongside Danilo Cataldi in central midfield. At the same time, Gudmundsson could also come straight into the lineup in the attacking midfield role, where he will provide ample support to striker Kean.
De Gea’s presence in between the sticks will be a key factor for Fiorentina against Inter Milan, while Pietro Comuzzo and Luca Ranieri resume their partnership at the heart of the defence. In the attacking third, Andrea Colpani and Edoardo Bove will feature on either wing, while Dodo and Gosens provide the support from their full-back positions.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): de Gea; Dodo, Comuzzo, Ranieri, Gosens; Cataldi, Adli; Colpani, Gudmundsson, Bove; Kean
Inter Milan
Simone Inzaghi has consistently rotated his teams throughout the season and shall continue that trend heading to Florence on Sunday. From the midweek victory over RB Leipzig, the manager is expected to make alterations, with changes afoot in every part of the pitch.
Benjamin Pavard suffered an injury in the midweek game, so he is ruled out, as Yann Bisseck could take his place in the backline. Stefan de Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni are expected to keep their places in that back three. Francesco Acerbi and Davide Frattesi are inching closer to fitness, although this game on Sunday might come too soon for the pair.
Raffaele Di Gennaro is a considerable doubt, but his chances of starting were low to begin with. Darmian might replace Denzel Dumfries in the right wing-back slot, while Federico Dimarco is likely to move back to his original place on the left wing, as opposed to the midfield role he played in midweek.
Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are all expected to play in that Inter Milan midfield. Marcus Thuram should also replace Mehdi Taremi, while skipper Lautaro Martinez retains his spot up front.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, de Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
Key Stats
- Fiorentina have won their last seven games in Serie A and are one game away from breaking a club record for eight consecutive wins set in 1960.
- Fiorentina have recorded only one win against Inter Milan since the 2017/18 season.
- Inter Milan and Fiorentina are level on points with 28 as are two other clubs in the table.
- Inter Milan have won their last four away games in Florence.
- No club in Serie A history has won five consecutive games away at Fiorentina.
Player to Watch
Moise Kean
The Fiorentina chiefs will see the €13 million they paid for Moise Kean as money well spent, as the striker has had a phenomenal start to the season. Despite a rather slow start, the former Juventus star has exploded onto the Serie A scene, scoring seven goals in his last four games.
His form in front of goal has coincided with Fiorentina’s rise in the table, and the striker will aim to keep his scoring run going. Tied with Inter Milan striker on nine Serie A goals, Kean should target Matteo Retegui’s top spot. A top goalscoring performance against Inter Milan should finally give him the credit of being one of the most talented strikers in the league.
Prediction
Fiorentina 1-2 Inter Milan
Despite Fiorentina’s stellar run of form, this game could go either way. The home team is on a phenomenal winning run in the top flight, but that does not discount how Inter Milan is performing at the moment. They are on a 12-game unbeaten run across all competitions.
Inter Milan are also astute defensively, although they will find it difficult to keep a clean sheet in Florence on Sunday. Given all the factors, this game should ideally be an entertaining spectacle, but the Nerazzurri are the slight favourites coming here. They will likely take the three points and move above Fiorentina in the standings.
