Fiorentina vs Inter Milan: Preview and Prediction

Newly crowned Super Coppa Italia champions Inter Milan will resume Serie A action as they face fourth-placed Fiorentina in Florence.

Vincenzo Italiano will want a quick response from his players following some recent disappointments, including the terrible loss to Napoli in the Super Coppa Italia in Saudi Arabia. Had they won that game, then Fiorentina would have met the next opponent, Inter Milan, with the chance to win a trophy.

Instead, their participation in Saudi Arabia allowed Atalanta to usurp their place in the top four, but Fiorentina still has a game in hand over their rivals. Since winning three Serie A games in a row to keep hold of their fourth spot, they have not managed to win their next two against Sassuolo and Udinese.

There’s a lot of pressure on manager Italiano ahead of the coming period, as many believe Fiorentina will falter in their quest for Champions League football. However, they now face a tough test against Inter Milan, against whom they have one victory in their last thirteen games in Serie A.

Simone Inzaghi will want his team to wrap up their Super Coppa Italia celebrations and re-focus on league matters. Their participation in Saudi Arabia allowed Juventus to overtake them in the Serie A standings, albeit playing a game more than the Nerazzuri.

Since drawing to Juventus at the San Siro at the end of November, Inter Milan have been in a stellar run of form in the league, winning seven of their eight clashes since. Their only block was a draw with Genoa away from home, but overall, they have maintained momentum.

The Fiorentina clash holds particular value for Inzaghi and his men, considering they face Juventus next. The Bianconeri could further if they manage to win over Empoli, as Inter Milan will want to keep the one-point gap and not allow their rivals to steal the march.

Team News & Tactics

Fiorentina

Manager Italiano will have to make some changes to his setup as he has at least three key absentees to deal with, starting with their skipper Cristiano Biraghi. The left-back is suspended for this clash with Inter Milan, which could see Fabiano Parisi take his place in the backline.

There are further absentees in Gaetano Castrovilli, who is still unavailable due to an injury. At the same time, Christian Kouam remains with Ivory Coast, with the AFCON hosts somehow qualifying for the round of 16 clash.

On the positive side, critical stars Dodo and Nico Gonzalez have resumed training, but they might still be short of earning a starting place on Sunday.

Former Inter player Giacomo Bonaventura should play a significant role in the attacking third for Fiorentina, having been directly involved in eight Serie A goals against Inter until now, including five strikes and three assists.

He will have Lucas Beltran for the company in the final third, with the striker likely to beat the competition of M’Bala Nzola to lead the line. He will have Jonathan Ikone and Roccardo Sottil for support from the wide areas as the trio will look to break an otherwise stubborn Inter defence.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1) – Terracciano; Kayode, Milenkovic, Martinez, Parisi; Arthur, Duncan; Ikone, Bonaventura, Sottil; Beltran

Inter Milan

Inzaghi must have to make do without the services of critical midfielders Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu. The dup are suspended and will not travel to Florence for this crucial clash with Fiorentina. Replacing them will prove to be a massive task for the manager, although he may find a solution.

Davide Frattesi and Kristjan Asllani are in the best place to replace the critical midfield duo. Henrikh Mkhitaryan will complete the middle three, with the support of wingbacks Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco on either wing.

The return of Alessandro Bastoni also boosted Inzaghi, although the manager might not risk the centre-back just yet. The Inter boss might keep him fresh for the Juventus game, although he could play a few minutes late against Fiorentina.

Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram are Inzaghi’s preferred front two and will retain their places after recent good performances.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2) – Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Acerbi; Dumfries, Frattesi, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Key Stats

• Fiorentina have one victory against Inter Milan in their last 13 meetings.
• Fiorentina have failed to score in 3 of their last 4 matches
• Inter are undefeated in their previous 14 matches in Serie A.
• Inter have been winning at both half-time and full-time in 6 of their last 7 matches in Serie A.
• Inter have won their last 4 away matches against Fiorentina in all competitions.

Player to Watch

Lautaro Martinez

Martinez played a skipper’s innings in Saudi Arabia, as he secured a third Super Coppa Italia crown for Inter Milan with a late goal against Napoli in the Final. There’s a key need for the Argentine to quickly shift his focus onto matters in the league and help his team close the gap up top.

Inzaghi will place significant importance on Martinez and will want his star striker to start firing on all cylinders. He must hit top gear considering the upcoming top-of-the-table clash with Juventus after this Fiorentina game.

Prediction

Fiorentina 0-2 Inter Milan

Fiorentina and Inter Milan come into this match-up in a similar vein of pressure, considering both are eager to reclaim their lost position owing to the trip to Saudi. Italiano’s side are not playing particularly well of late, and that could have an impact on how well they fare against Inter.

Inzaghi, will stay upbeat about his side’s chances, despite losing their top spot following the visit to Saudi. He will not want his players to take unwanted pressure about losing their top spot and instead will look for a statement win against Fiorentina to put things into perspective. Our prediction points at Inter Milan, taking all three points against a stuttering Fiorentina side and keeping a clean sheet.