Giuseppe Meazza forms the backdrop for a high-stakes Serie A encounter between top-four hopefuls Inter and out-of-form debutants Monza. This clash will drop the curtain on Saturday’s top-flight program in Italy, with Simone Inzaghi hoping it won’t mean the same for his career in Lombardy.
When it looked like Inter would relieve underperforming boss Inzaghi of his duties, the ex-Lazio coach handed himself a lifeline with another impressive Champions League night. Inspired by Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku, the Nerazzurri toppled Porto 2-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
Following a clear-cut triumph in Portugal, Inter seem on the verge of reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2010. As such, Inzaghi has bought himself additional time at Meazza, but he’ll need to translate his side’s decent European form to the domestic front if he’s to save his job.
Last Friday’s underwhelming 1-1 draw at Salernitana inflicted further damage on Inter’s top-four bid, leaving them a point adrift of fourth-placed Milan at the start of this round. Luckily for Inzaghi, Monza don’t look like a side capable of causing an upset. The visitors have gone winless in their last four league outings (D3, L1).
Raffaele Palladino’s team shared the spoils with Udinese topsy-turvy 2-2 draw at the Dacia Arena in the previous round, slipping four points behind the tenth-placed Friulians. Monza’s last victory in Serie A dates back to early March, so it’s no wonder their hopes of securing an unlikely top-half finish no longer stand on solid legs.
Match Preview
Inter
Antonio Candreva’s last-gasp stunner that denied Inter a win at the Stadio Arechi last time out left a bitter taste in Inzaghi’s mouth, even though the result helped him knock his side down from a three-match losing league streak. Back to Meazza, where they’ve lost their last two top-flight outings by an identical 1-0 scoreline, the Nerazzurri are desperate to return to winning ways.
Only twice have Inter lost more consecutive home matches in Serie A, last losing three in a row at Meazza in 2013. Flying out of the traps could aid their cause, and there’s every reason to believe in the hosts’ strong start. Indeed, no team has netted more Serie A goals inside the opening 30 minutes of play this season than the Nerazzurri (17), highlighting the potential for an action-packed start.
Player to Watch: Romelu Lukaku
Despite his epic misses against Fiorentina and Salernitana, Lukaku has scored two of Inter’s last three goals in all competitions. Even though both those strikes came from the spot, the Belgian looks like the most in-form player in the home camp.
Monza
Since pulling off a narrow 1-0 triumph at Bologna in mid-February, Monza have gone winless on their last three Serie A travels (D2, L1), conceding an average of two goals per match in that run. Growing defensive issues must be at the forefront of Palladino’s mind, considering his men tend to undo their decent scoring record by giving away cheap goals.
Indeed, the visitors have been regular on the scoresheet away from home in 2023, failing to find the net only once across their eight competitive road trips this calendar year. Monza should be confident about maintaining their free-scoring form on hostile turf, aware they held Inter to a dramatic 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture in January.
Player to Watch: Gianluca Caprari
There’s something talismanic about Gianluca Caprari. His team on the day remains undefeated in his last 12 scoring appearances in Serie A (W9, D3). So Monza will hope their playmaker can trouble the scoreboard on Saturday.
Team News
Besides Dalbert, who’s been out this entire season with a knee injury, Inter will be without first-choice center-back Milan Skriniar. The Slovakia international is struggling with a back problem and will have to remain on the sidelines.
As for Monza, marquee striker Dany Mota has yet to recover from injury. The same goes for Juventus loanee Filippo Ranocchia. But the visitors will at least welcome back Caprari from suspension.
Inter vs Monza Potential Lineups
Inter (3-5-2): Andre Onana; Matteo Darmian, Stefan de Vrij, Alessandro Bastoni; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Kristjan Asllani, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Robin Gosens; Joaquin Correa, Romelu Lukaku.
Monza (3-4-2-1): Michele Di Gregorio; Armando Izzo, Pablo Mari, Marlon; Patrick Ciurria, Stefano Sensi, Nicolo Rovella, Carlos Augusto; Matteo Pessina, Gianluca Caprari; Andrea Petagna.
Inter vs Monza Prediction
Despite their abysmal run of form, Inter should have the upper hand in this fixture any day of the week. Inzaghi’s men are unbeaten in their last 28 league matches against newly-promoted sides (W24, D4), and we back them to build on that record.
Prediction: Inter Win
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