Inter Milan will be aiming to get closer to making it three Coppa Italia titles in a row when they take on Bologna in the round of 16 on Wednesday.
Defending champions Inter Milan will take on Bologna at the Giuseppe Meazza in the Coppa Italia round of 16 on Wednesday night. Simone Inzaghi’s men have a third straight run at the trophy in mind and will be keen to compete for the hat-trick this season.
Bologna go into the tie as the underdogs but are in good nick of late. In fact, they are on a four-game unbeaten streak and also got the better of top four hopefuls AS Roma 2-0 at the weekend. While Inter are expected to field a weaker side, rotating their first strength XI, Bologna cannot be seen as a pushover.
Inter have lost just once this season and have won 11 games while conceding no goals at the same time this season, more than any side in Europe’s top leagues. Inzaghi’s side could set up a replay of last season’s final in the next round should the Nerazzurri progress to face Fiorentina.
Former Inter Milan star Thiago Mota is doing a fine job with Bologna and would love to get one over his former club. Bologna have made it to the last eighty of the competition just once this century, all the way back in 2013, where they lost to Inter in the last eight.
Bologna face no harder test on the domestic front than an Inter Milan in full throttle. It remains to be seen if they can pull off the mother of all surprises. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how these two sides will line up and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Milan
With bigger fish to fry, Simone Inzaghi will be keen to rotate his squad and offer some of his fringe players some playing time. However, two players who will miss out are the Dutch duo of Denzel Dumfries and Stefan de Vrij, both of whom are injured. Juan Cuadrado is also not ready to feature, while Alexis Sanchez is a doubt thanks to a muscle strain.
Despite appearing likely to rotate his squad, Inzaghi is unlikely to deviate from his trademark 3-5-2 formation. Emil Audero should start in goal behind the back three of Yann Aurel Bisseck, Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni.
The trio of Davide Frattesi, Kristjan Asllani and Nicolo Barella will hold the fort in central midfield, with Matteo Darmian and Carlos Augusto acting as wing-backs. Marcus Thuram will be the danger man upfront alongside veteran striker Marko Arnautovic.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Audero; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Frattesi, Asllani, Barella, Augusto; Thuram, Arnautovic
Bologna FC 1909
Thiago Motta’s men will be buzzing after the tactical masterclass against Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma at the weekend. However, while the visitors are expected to make changes, they do not have too many injury concerns to be worried about.
Jesper Karlsson and Adama Soumaoro are the only long-term absentees for Bologna. Riccardo Orsolini returned from injury recently and should be available. Whether he will be risked or not is another question.
Motta is partial to the 4-2-3-1 system and should go with Federico Ravaglia, who kept a clean sheet against AS Roma. He should be protected by the backline of Stefan Posch, Jhon Lucumi, Riccardo Calafiori and Charalampos Lykogiannis.
Remo Freuler and Nikola Moro should function as the double pivot in midfield, with the trio of Dan Ndoye, Michel Aebischer and Alexis Saelemaekers pushing forward. Joshua Zirkzee is likely to give way for Sydney van Hooijdonk up front.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ravaglia; Posch, Lucumi, Calafiori, Lykogiannis; Moro, Freuler; Ndoye, Aebischer, Saelemaekers; Van Hooijdonk
Key Stats
- Inter Milan have won the Coppa Italia title nine times in their history, more than any other side, bar Juventus and AS Roma.
- Winning the Coppa Italia this season will make Inter Milan just the second side in history after Juventus to secure three straight triumphs in the competition.
- Bologna have won the Coppa Italian title just twice in their history, with the most recent one coming all the way back in 1974.
- Winning the Coppa Italia this season will make Inter Milan just the second side in Italian history to win 10 or more titles in the competition.
Player to Watch
Marcus Thuram
With Lautaro Martinez likely to be rested, Thuram will secure the pre-eminent role as Inter’s attacker in chief. The French international has been an excellent addition to the Nerazzurri roster and has taken to life at the Giuseppe Meazza like a fish to water.
With eight goals and ten assists in 22 appearances across all competitions, Thuram is a dynamic presence capable of making a difference in the final third. The 26-year-old will certainly want to cap off his Coppa Italia debut with a performance to remember.
Prediction
Inter Milan 2-0 Bologna FC 1909
As the two-time defending champions, Inter Milan have both the know-how and the experience to get the better of Bologna. Given the number of changes the home side are expected to make, the game would in all likelihood be a close affair. However, Simone Inzaghi has a squad with better quality and depth, both of which should swing the tie in Inter’s favour on the night.