Inter Milan vs Atalanta: Preview and Prediction

Inter Milan will begin defending the Supercoppa Italiana in Riyadh against Serie A leaders Atalanta in the first semi-final.

The stage is set for the Supercoppa Italian in Saudi Arabia, as Riyadh’s Al-Awwal Park hosts a formidable matchup between holders Inter Milan and Serie A leaders Atalanta. The Nerazzurri have won this title in three consecutive seasons and will aim to add a fourth on the trot.

Simone Inzaghi has his side purring in recent weeks, winning their last eight games across all competitions. Their form has seen a major climb in the Serie A standings, as they trail Atalanta and Napoli by a single point and have a game in hand over both the top two sides.

Inzaghi will take this Supercoppa Italiana semifinal as a prelude to a top-of-the-table clash, although they do not meet Atalanta until March. Inter Milan will still come into this clash with confidence owing to their stellar 4-0 victory over the Bergamo side at the end of August.

Meanwhile, Gian Piero Gasperini will welcome a distraction from the pressures of mounting a title challenge back in Italy and experience the lushes of Saudi Arabia to achieve a Supercoppa Italiana. La Dea have never won this accolade, although that will play in the manager’s mind ahead of this clash in Riyadh.

Atalanta did suffer a minor setback in their title challenge last weekend when they managed a draw against Lazio. That was the first set of dropped points after an incredible winning run spanning eleven games in Serie A.

Hence, visiting Saudi for this mini-tournament will be a welcome addition to Gasperini’s schedule before returning to Italy to resume their title challenge. Beating Inter Milan here in Riyadh will be something the manager would want, as a positive result, and probably even the Supercoppa Italiana will instil the confidence and winning mentality needed in this squad to overcome the nig challenges ahead.

Team News & Tactics

Inter Milan

Simone Inzaghi will be cautious about injuries to defenders, as Inter Milan are already without two key defenders for their visit to Saudi Arabia. Benjamin Pavard and Francesco Acerbi were left behind in Milan to recover from their respective problems.

Matteo Darmian has overcome a knee problem to join the travelling squad, although Inzaghi is unlikely to take any risks with him. Therefore, Denzel Dumfries is expected to start in the right wing-back role against Atalanta.

Federico Dimarco will be the firm choice on the left wing, while Inzaghi will make no exceptions to his midfield selections, as Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are all in line for starts.

Due to Pavard and Acerbi’s injuries, Yann Bisseck and Stefan de Vrij will feature alongside Alessandro Bastoni in the heart of the defence. Up front, Marcus Thuram, Inter Milan’s top scorer this season, will partner up with skipper Lautaro Martinez.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram

Atalanta

Atalanta also have their fair share of injury issues ahead of the first Supercoppa Italiana semi-final against Inter Milan in Saudi Arabia. Key among those is the absence of top scorer Mateo Retegui, who was left out of the squad alongside long-term injury absentee Gianluca Scamacca.

However, Matteo Ruggeri can play for a few minutes during the game as he continues his journey towards optimal fitness. Either way, in defence, Gian Piero Gasperini will use his regular starters, Sead Kolasinac, Odilon Kossounou, and Isak Hien, in the back three.

Former Inter Milan star Juan Cuadrado is also out of action following a thigh injury last Saturday. Charles De Ketelaere is expected to feature up top in Retegui’s absence, with Ademola Lookman set to provide the necessary support in the attacking third.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Kossounou, Hien, Kolasinac; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; Samardzic, Lookman; De Ketelaere

Key Stats

  • Inter Milan have won three consecutive Supercoppa Italiana titles.
  • Inter Milan have won their last four games across all competitions.
  • Atalanta are undefeated in 13 Serie A games.
  • Atalanta have never won the Supercoppa Italiana in their history.

Player to Watch

Marcus Thuram

Embed from Getty Images

Thuram has been Inter Milan’s top scorer this season, and he will look to add to his tally in the Supercoppa Italiana in Riyadh. The in-demand Frenchman must keep form intact when coming to Saudi Arabia, and Simone Inzaghi will be banking on his goalscoring prowess now and until the end of the season.

Thuram has 13 goals across all competitions and a healthy tally of six assists, meaning he can also help Lautaro Martinez score goals and form a solid partnership with the Argentine. He will also be the focus of the Atalanta defence, and the Frenchman will look to breach La Dea’s backline to help Inter Milan secure a place in the Supercoppa Italiana Final.

Prediction

Inter Milan 2-1 Atalanta

Atalanta will enter this game as the underdogs against the Serie A and Supercoppa Italiana holders. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men have been in superb form since losing to Inter Milan back in August, and their momentum does give them a chance to reach the final by beating the Nerazzurri.

Inter Milan come into this game against Atalanta as the favourites mainly due to their pedigree in this competition and their recent win record here. They also have a fitter squad than La Dea and the mentality to take the big game by the scruff of the neck. Inter Milan are expected to reach yet another final by beating Atalanta, although they may not manage to keep a clean sheet against Gasperini’s men.

Leave Comment

Recommended

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.