Inter Milan will aim to return to winning ways when they take on Frosinone Calcio at Stadio Benito Stirpe on Friday.
The 2023/24 Serie A season continues on Friday, with Matchday 35 kicking off on Friday. The latest round of fixtures gets underway with the newly-crowned champions taking the field, with Inter Milan locking horns with Frosinone Calcio at Stadio Benito Stirpe.
Frosinone Calcio came into the 2023/24 season after winning the Serie B title last term. So, a relegation battle was on the cards, which has been the case thus far for the home side. The Canaries have given a good account of themselves, losing less than half of their 35 games thus far, with recent weeks witnessing a six-game unbeaten run that has dragged them out of the drop zone.
As for Inter Milan, they have enjoyed an exceptional 2023/24 campaign, reclaiming the Serie A title after a two-year lull. The newly-crowned champions have been perched atop the table after all but three rounds of fixtures thus far, illustrating their dominance in the Italian top flight. However, Simone Inzaghi’s men’s dream of breaching the 100-point barrier ended last week after losing 1-0 to Sassuolo, their second defeat this term.
Inter Milan beat Frosinone Calcio 2-0 in the reverse fixture, with Federico Dimarco and Hakan Calhanoglu finding the back of the net on either side of half-time. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Frosinone Calcio
Eusebio Di Francesco has a new roster issue hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Inter Milan on Friday, the Frosinone Calcio manager will be bereft of the services of five first-team players.
Enzo Barrenechea is the latest absentee after picking up a milestone booking last weekend. The 22-year-old has joined Stefano Turati (hand), Anthony Oyono (ankle), Sergio Kalaj (thigh), and Mateus Lusuardi (physical discomfort) on the sidelines.
Francesco Gelli should replace Barrenechea in the double pivot, joining Luca Mazzitelli in the middle of the park. Meanwhile, Michele Cerofolini should take his usual spot between the sticks, with Frosinone lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him against Inter Milan.
The central defensive unit should feature Pol Lirola, Simone Romagnoli, and Caleb Okoli. Nadir Zortea and Emanuele Valeri will be the two wing-backs, with the duo providing width in the final third. Marco Brescianini will likely spearhead the Frosinone attack, with Matias Soule and Walid Cheddira supporting him in the offensive trifecta.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Cerofolini; Lirola, Romagnoli, Okoli; Zortea, Gelli, Mazzitelli, Valeri; Soule, Cheddira; Brescianini
Inter Milan
Unlike his counterpart in the Frosinone dugout, Simone Inzaghi barely has any issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Stadio Benito Stirpe. The Inter Milan manager will be without only one first-team player, with Francesco Acerbi still on the sidelines due to a groin injury.
Emil Audero should start instead of Yann Sommer between the sticks, with Inter Milan lining up in Inzaghi’s trademark 3-5-2 formation in front of him against Frosinone Calcio. The central defensive trifecta will likely feature Benjamin Pavard, Stefan de Vrij, and Alessandro Bastoni.
Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco should be the two wing-backs, with the latter replacing Carlos Augusto on the left flank. The duo will be the creative workhorses for Inter Milan in the wide areas.
As for the midfield unit, Henrikh Mkhitaryan should get some well-deserved rest after a gruelling campaign thus far. Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Davide Frattesi will thus be the three players in the middle of the park. Finally, Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez will likely start as the two strikers for the away side.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Audero; Pavard, de Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Frattesi, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
Key Stats
- Frosinone Calcio have lost their last five Serie A matches against Inter Milan.
- Frosinone have met the team at the top of the Serie A standings heading into a round of fixtures on three previous occasions, failing to score a goal in those outings, losing every game, and conceding seven times.
- Inter Milan lost 1-0 to Sassuolo last week. The only time the Nerazzurri lost two successive league games after winning the title was in 1953.
- Frosinone have racked up 78 per cent of their points this season at Stadio Benito Stirpe (25/32), second only to Granada (86 per cent — 18/21) in the top-five leagues.
- Frosinone have not conceded a goal in their last three Serie A matches, keeping as many clean sheets as in their previous 32 games this term.
Player to Watch
Lautaro Martinez
There was a time when Lautaro Martinez was scoring goals for fun, finding the back of the net in most outings. However, the second half of the 2023/24 season has seen his goalscoring rate slow down, with the Argentine international not being as clinical.
While the newly-crowned Serie A champions do not have anything to play for, Martinez will be eager to rediscover his best touch heading into this summer’s Copa America. Expect him to show the desire and desperation to find the back of the net multiple times on Friday.
Prediction
Frosinone Calcio 1-2 Inter Milan
With the objective of breaching the 100-point barrier no longer achievable, the visitors have nothing much to play for in the 2023/24 season. On the other hand, Frosinone will be desperate to continue opening up the gap to the drop zone and will take the game to Inter Milan.
The home side should find some success with that approach. However, the newly-crowned Serie A champions have more than enough quality to beat their hosts, even if they play in second gear. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Simone Inzaghi and his charges.
