Reigning Scudetto holders Inter take on arch-rivals Juventus in the latest edition of the famous Derby d’Italia later this evening. Widely considered an ‘early title six-pointer,’ Sunday’s clash at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza could have a lasting effect on the race for Serie A supremacy.
Inter will take the field in high spirits after a narrow 1-0 win at Young Boys in midweek UEFA Champions League action extended their winning run to five matches. That same scoreline determined their last league outing in Rome as Simone Inzaghi’s side squeaked past Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.
However, Inter lost three significant first-team stars in the process. Francesco Acerbi and Hakan Calhanoglu picked up injuries in the capital, while Carlos Augusto sustained a muscle strain in Switzerland. As a result, Inzaghi can’t call upon either of them for tonight’s mouth-watering home fixture.
Yann Sommer will keep his place in goal. After playing Yann Bisseck at the expense of Alessandro Bastoni in Bern, Inzaghi will return to his usual choices. Inter will line up with Benjamin Pavard, Stefan de Vrij, and Bastoni in the back three.
Federico Dimarco will return to the starting XI after delivering a last-gasp assist to help Inter oust Young Boys. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Nicolo Barella are almost certain to start. It leaves Inzaghi with one dilemma in the midfield. It will be either Piotr Zielinski or Davide Frattesi to fill the void left by Calhanoglu’s injury.
The Polish midfielder is the front-runner to make his first Inter start in Serie A. As for the frontline, Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram will dislodge Marko Arnautovic and Mehdi Taremi, who started Wednesday’s clash in Switzerland.
How Inter will line up
(3-5-2): Sommer; Bastoni, De Vrij, Pavard; Frattesi, Mkhitaryan, Zielinski, Barella, Darmian; Martinez, Thuram.
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