After suffering a shock loss to Bologna last weekend, Inter Milan will look to return to winning ways when they welcome Lecce to San Siro on Sunday evening.
The rollercoaster campaign for Inter Milan, who face Lecce next, continued over the weekend as they fell 1-0 away at Bologna just days after beating FC Porto in the Champions League Round of 16. It means Napoli are now 18 points ahead of last season’s runners-up at the top of the league table.
The Nerrazzurri still have a lot to play for, as they are battling to stay in the top four in Serie A. Yet, their inconsistency in the league is jeopardising their chances of qualifying for the Champions League. With the Scudetto all but gone, despite Napoli’s defeat to Lazio on Friday, Inter must secure a top-four finish. But they currently sit only three points above fifth-placed Roma.
Simone Inzaghi’s side slipped to third after the surprise 1-0 victory for Lazio against Napoli. So Inter cannot afford to slip up any further with things extremely tight at the top. And the former Lazio boss will desperately see his troops to bouncing back on Sunday against Lecce.
Lecce, however, are no pushovers or relegation fodder. The newly-promoted outfit have displayed a remarkable tendency to steal points from the big boys in their first season back in the top flight. Marco Baroni’s men have beaten Atalanta twice, drawn with Napoli, and defeated Lazio, AS Roma, and AC Milan.
Even in the losses to Inter and Juventus, it took late winners on both occasions to take a result away from Lecce. The Salentians have only lost one of their past four games. However, the setback at home to Sassuolo last weekend may have disrupted their flow, although Lecce are perfectly suited to dropping deep and frustrating their hosts.
Therefore, the Nerazzurri should be concerned that after failing to break down Bologna last weekend, they may have similar difficulties this Sunday against Lecce. Inter have been the dominant force in the history of this meeting and clinched a narrow 1-2 win when they visited Stadio Comunale Via del Mare in the reverse fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides may take to the field on the night and the tactics they might employ.
Prepping for the weekend 🔜#InterLecce #ForzaInter pic.twitter.com/exkVIL7JtD
— Inter (@Inter_en) March 2, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Inter Milan
Federico Dimarco, Milan Skriniar, and Joaquin Correa are all listed as doubtful for Inter Milan due to minor injuries ahead of the weekend. They are unlikely to be risked here, though Simone Inzaghi hopes to have them back in the squad on Sunday.
Inzaghi will likely stick with his preferred 3-5-2 formation, with Andre Onana retaining his place between the sticks for the visitors. Francesco Acerbi will replace Stefan de Vrij in defence, with Matteo Darmian and Alessandro Bastoni joining the veteran to form a back three.
Robin Gosens and Denzel Dumfries had both started for Inter as wing-backs in the team’s last match, with Darmian starting on the right of the back three. And there is every chance that both of them will once again start against Lecce this weekend.
Gosens, for one, was among a handful of Inter Milan players who left last weekend’s defeat to Bologna with any credibility. And the German wing-back was at the forefront of the action throughout.
Marcelo Brozovic has also returned to the starting lineup after a spell on the sidelines. And the Croatian enforcer’s presence at the base of the midfield will allow Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Hakan Calhanoglu to push forward and create plays.
Finally, in attack, Lautaro Martinez is all but certain to start on Sunday. Meanwhile, Edin Dzeko is looking increasingly likely to spearhead the line alongside the Argentine rather than the fit-again Romelu Lukaku, who started in last weekend’s defeat.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Mkhitaryan, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Gosens; Dzeko, Martinez
Lecce
Federico Baschirotto is suspended for this fixture. Head coach Marco Baroni could also be without the services of Kastriot Dermaku and Marin Pongracic due to their respective leg injuries, while Lameck Banda has sustained a muscle injury and is a major doubt.
Baroni is not expected to make many changes to last weekend’s 4-3-3 line-up, with Alessandro Tuia replacing the suspended Baschirotto at the back. With only 27 goals conceded in 24 games (the sixth-best tally in Serie A), Lecce’s defence is their stronghold.
The defensive unit includes stars like Tuia, Antonino Gallo, Valentin Gendrey, and Samuel Umtiti. Wladimiro Falcone has also proven to be a safe pair of hands in between the sticks.
Lecce’s midfield has also taken the Italian league by surprise, with Morten Hjulmand and Joan Gonzalez particularly impressing with their performances and almost certain to make a move to a bigger club this summer. The former has attracted clubs in England, Germany, and Italy.
The offensive unit is where Lecce fall short. And their number look typical for a newly-promoted team, with 24 goals in 24 games, the sixth-worst record in the division. Gabriel Strefezza’s quick feet and excellent dribbling skills could be the key to providing Lecce the spark in attack. Assan Ceesay should start ahead of Lorenzo Colombo up top. He will get support from Banda on the left flank.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Falcone; Gendrey, Tuia, Umtiti, Gallo; Blin, Hjulmand, Gonzalez; Strefezza, Ceesay, Banda
Key Stats
- Inter Milan have won their last eight home matches against Lecce in all competitions.
- Inter Milan are on an eight-game winning run at home in all competitions against Lecce, keeping five clean sheets during that period as well.
- Lecce have suffered just one defeat in their last six away games in Serie A, winning their last two games in a row.
- Lecce have scored the Serie A’s sixth-lowest total of goals with 24.
- Inter Milan have scored more than one goal just once in the previous six games in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Lautaro Martinez
Argentine hotshot Lautaro Martinez has rediscovered his scoring boots since returning from the World Cup, contributing eight goals and an assist. Overall, he is Inter’s leading goalscorer in Serie A with 13 strikes to his name. And he is the only player to register double-digit goals in Serie A for the Nerazzurri despite them scoring the second-most goals in the league this season with 44.
He is Inter’s primary source of goals and inspiration, with Edin Dzeko and Romelu Lukaku failing to produce the goods in the final third consistently. Martinez will thus be keen on getting on the scoresheet once again when he faces the Lecce.
Prediction
Inter Milan 2-1 Lecce
With both attacks far from firing on all cylinders, a low-scoring game could well be on the cards at San Siro this weekend. Inter will hope to immediately get back to winning ways and bounce back from the disappointment of losing their seventh league game of the season against Bologna last weekend.
Of course, for a team of Inter’s calibre, there is always the possibility that a world-class talent will be able to breach the Lecce defence, especially with Romelu Lukaku returning to full fitness. After a full week of rest and the jam-packed San Siro backing them, The Hard Tackle predicts Inter to squeak past Lecce thanks to a Lautaro Martinez brace, with the visitors bagging a consolation goal as well.
