Inter Milan can close the gap to Serie A leaders Napoli when they take on Spezia on Friday.
Inter Milan will be keen to do away with their recent away day blues when they travel to the the Alberto Ricco Stadium to take on relegation-threatened Spezia on Friday night.
A win on the night will see Simone Inzaghi’s men close the gap to league leaders Napoli to just 12. However, it will do little to boost the Nerazzurri’s chances of completing a sensational comeback that can see them nick the Scudetto.
There is more at stake for Spezia as they are struggling for goals and continue to flirt with relegation. The Ligurian side are currently three points above 18th-placed Hellas Verona following a run of seven games without a win.
Leonardo Semplici replaced Luca Gotti in the Spezia dugout in February. But that has done little to boost the Italian minnows’ fortunes. They have drawn two games under the 55-year-old tactician and will need to pick up some wins to secure their position as Serie A regulars for next season.
Playing at home, they could be in with a shot given that Inter have been poor on their travels of late. Inter have won just two of their last six away games in Serie A. The Nerazzurri will also have an eye on the midweek clash against FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League.
Inzaghi’s men lead 1-0 from the first leg and will be keen to make the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since 2010/11, where they lost out to FC Schalke. With Inter having an eye on the trip to Estadio do Dragao, Spezia have a real opportunity to catch the visitors cold.
A loss is not desirable for Inter, especially with their spot in the top four far from secure. The clash promises to be hard fought given the repercussions at both ends of the table. Whether Inter can end their recent hoodoo against Ligurian sides remains to be seen. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Spezia
🎟 SPEZIA-INTER
❌ PICCO SOLD OUT
➡️ https://t.co/SbYthuTBiM pic.twitter.com/uWmEzwP5Nz
— Spezia Calcio (@acspezia) March 7, 2023
Gli Aquilotti desperately need points and will hope that Inter Milan’s inconsistency this season does them favours on Friday. Leonardo Semplici is still looking for his first win since taking over at Spezia, and there are few bigger fish than Inter Milan in Italian football today.
The home side will have to do without first-choice left-back Arkadiusz Reca, whose booking against Hellas Verona last time out rules him out of the tie. He is unlikely to be the only absentee as Simone Bastoni, Joao Moutinho, Emil Holm and Jeroen Zoet are all struggling with injury concerns.
Federico Marchetti is not the first-choice goalkeeper, and the chances of him featuring on the night were slim to begin with. However, he, too, will miss the tie thanks to a sending off last time out. Spezia have an otherwise full-strength squad to choose from.
Semplici is likely to deploy his side in a 4-3-3 formation that is freely flexible according to the situation. Bartlomiej Dragowski is likely to start in goal behind the back four of Kelvin Amian, Ethan Ampadu, Mattia Caldara and Dimitrios Nikolaou.
The trio of Mehdi Bourabia, Albin Ekdal and Kevin Agudelo will form the backbone in midfield, aiming to kill Inter’s presence in the middle of the park. The task is easier said than done given the names at Simone Inzaghi’s disposal.
Daniele Verde and Emmanuel Gyasi will provide the width upfront, flanking M’Bala Nzola upfront. The striker will be a handful for Francesco Acerbi to contain, especially given the disparity between their pace.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Dragowski; Amian, Ampadu, Caldara, Nikolaou; Bourabia, Ekdal, Agudelo; Verde, Nzola, Gyasi
Inter Milan
Joaquin Correa and Milan Skriniar are not fully fit and are doubts for the game. With tougher games to come, the chances that Simone Inzaghi will risk either player, at least from the start, is minimal.
Inter have an otherwise fully fit squad at their disposal and are more than likely to make use of their trademark 3-5-2 formation. Andre Onana should act as the last line of defence between the sticks behind the back three of Mateo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni.
Marcelo Brozovic should rekindle his position at the base of the Inter midfield, allowing Nicolo Barella and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to push forward. The trio will also provide the base for Denzel Dumfries and Robin Gosens to provide width on the flanks.
Stepping it up 💪#SpeziaInter #ForzaInter pic.twitter.com/S4t27GoLwa
— Inter (@Inter_en) March 8, 2023
Inter have usually alternated between Romelu Lukaku and Edin Dzeko alongside Lautaro Martinez this season. The Belgian is likely to get the nod on the night, with Dzeko being saved for Porto.
Inter will be keen to assert their dominance early on. And with Brozovic back, they can do just that. The sooner they can break the deadlock on the night, the quicker they can put the tie to bed and focus on more pressing matters.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Mkhitaryan, Gosens; Martinez, Lukaku
Key Stats
- Inter Milan are yet to taste defeat in their five Serie A games against Spezia. This run includes four wins and one draw.
- This will be the first time that both sides face off against each other in Serie A over the weekend.
- Inter Milan have a poor recent record against Ligurian opposition, winning just one away game against teams from the region from the last six.
- Spezia have scored just 21 times in Serie A this season, a record that is only better than relegation threatened Hellas Verona and Sampdoria.
- Failing to score on the night will see Inter Milan go three successive away games without a goal for the first time since 2013.
Player to Watch
Marcelo Brozovic
The Croatian international is Inter’s midfield general and helps the Nerazzurri often dictate the pace of the game. The sooner the visitors get a foothold in the game, the quicker they can set the stage for a win. Brozovic’s ability to recycle possession and provide a base for the more attacking players to push forward will prove crucial on the night.
Whether the Inter Milan veteran gains the upper hand in the midfield will more or less dictate whether Simone Inzaghi’s men take control of the game.
Prediction
Spezia 0-2 Inter Milan
Inter have had a week to prepare for the tie and will be keen to end their away hoodoo as soon as possible. Spezia are far from formidable but will battle for every ball given their precarious situation.
Ultimately, Inter will be keen to get the job done as soon as possible. And their upper hand in terms of quality should make the difference. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Simone Iznaghi and his charges.
