Inter’s bid to win back-to-back Serie A titles for the first time in over a decade continues on Saturday as they entertain mid-table Hellas Verona at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. Last weekend’s controversial 1-0 victory away to Juventus kept the Nerazzurri four points behind table-topping Milan with a game in hand.
Hakan Calhanoglu’s strike from the spot fired the reigning Serie A champions to a hard-fought triumph in the latest edition of the Derby d’Italia. Though the Inter’s performance in Turin flattered to deceive, the beating of their arch-rivals could serve as a much-needed confidence boost ahead of the business end of the season.
On the other hand, Giovanni Simeone’s fifth-minute goal handed Verona a narrow 1-0 home triumph over relegation-battling Genoa last time out. Despite another sub-par showing, the Gialloblu have reignited their bid to qualify for their first UEFA competition in 34 years, keeping them seven points adrift of sixth-placed Lazio.
Since neither side would benefit much from a draw, the Meazza crowd could be in for an enthralling contest. Adding to this sentiment, Inter came from behind to beat Verona 3-1 in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
Match Preview
Inter
Inzaghi’s men remain the most prolific Serie A side heading into the business end of the season, having netted 63 league goals thus far. But Edin Dzeko and his attacking comrades are seemingly running out of steam. They have scored one goal or fewer in seven of their last eight Serie A outings.
Moreover, Inter have failed to get on the scoresheet twice across their last four home matches in competitive action, while only twice have they bagged 2+ goals in the last six at Meazza. The abovementioned triumph at Juventus means the Nerazzurri could now win consecutive Serie A games for the first time in 2022.
There is plenty of reason for optimism amongst the home support, as Inter have gone unbeaten in all 30 home meetings with Verona in Serie A (D11, L19), keeping a staggering 22 clean sheets in the process. Conceding first should not derail the hosts’ hopes of claiming an all-important win, given that they’ve amassed a league-high 19 points from losing positions this season.
Hellas Verona
After holding Genoa at bay, Verona will be looking to put together successive Serie A clean sheets for the first time since September 2020. Unfortunately, Inter have been a thorn in their side, especially over their Saturday H2Hs. Indeed, the Gialloblu have lost all six Saturday-held Serie A showdowns against the Nerazzurri.
Scoring the opening goal in this kind of fixtures has often been of the utmost importance for pre-match outsiders. Yet, even that may not guarantee a victory for Verona, who have surrendered more Serie A points from winning positions (22) than any other side in Italy’s top flight this season.
Interestingly, though, Verona have drawn their last three Serie A matches away from home, coming from behind to avoid defeat twice in that sequence. Tudor’s men may need another similar heroic to record a historical victory over Inter, given that they are seeking only their first Serie A clean sheet on the road in 20 matches.
Inter vs Hellas Verona Team News
Lautaro Martinez’s inability to play due to accumulated bookings will put the underperforming Inter attack under even more pressure. The Argentine will be the only high-profile absentee in the home camp. That will likely force Inzaghi to field injury-prone Joaquin Correa alongside Dzeko up top.
As for Verona, Diego Coppola, Alessandro Berardi, Kevin Lasagna, Antonin Barak, Ivan Pandur and Pawel Dawidowicz are all ruled out of this trip due to different physical problems.
Inter Potential Starting XI (3-5-2): Samir Handanovic; Alessandro Bastoni, Milan Skriniar, Danilo D’Ambrosio; Ivan Perisic, Hakan Calhanoglu, Marcelo Brozovic, Nicolo Barella, Denzel Dumfries; Joaquin Correa, Edin Dzeko.
Hellas Verona Potential Starting XI (3-4-3): Lorenzo Montipo; Nicolo Casale, Koray Gunter, Federico Ceccherini; Darko Lazovic, Ivan Ilic, Adrien Tameze, Davide Faraoni; Gianluca Caprari, Giovanni Simeone, Daniel Bessa.