Giuseppe Meazza forms the backdrop for an exciting midweek Serie A encounter between table-topping Inter and mid-table Sassuolo. Let’s look at our match preview for this contest.
Federico Dimarco’s stunning strike catapulted Inter to a hard-earned 1-0 away win over rock-bottom Empoli on Sunday afternoon. The Italian’s thunderous half-volley from outside the box didn’t just maintain his side’s 100% five-game Serie A start. It helped manager Simone Inzaghi enter the club folklore.
After becoming only the fourth Inter boss to open a new top-flight campaign on a five-match winning run, Inzaghi will be optimistic ahead of the first midweek round of 2023/24. But after failing to score more than once per game for the first time in the new Serie A campaign, the early pacesetters can’t take anything for granted.
It was no wonder the division’s only scoreless side failed to find the net against Inter last time out. However, Sassuolo could put Inzaghi’s watertight backline in harm’s way. Alessio Dionisi’s side showed their scoring prowess at the weekend, slotting four goals past Juventus in a memorable 4-2 triumph at the Mapei Stadium.
Whether it was just a one-off or a sign of resurgence remains to be seen as the visitors come into proceedings seeking back-to-back Serie A wins for the first time since mid-March. Achieving that feat would require Sassuolo to upset the apple cart at Meazza, where they lost 4-2 in this corresponding fixture last May.
Match Preview
Inter
Including a 5-1 demolition of Milan in the Derby della Madonnina as nominal hosts, Inter have won all three home league games this season via multi-goal margins. Delivering action from the get-go, Inzaghi’s men have opened the scoring within the first 25 minutes of play on all three occasions.
Inter tend to build a head of steam as the game progresses, as witnessed by their intimidating scoring exploits beyond halftime in recent matches. They have netted three second-half goals apiece against Milan and Fiorentina, suggesting the Meazza crowd could be in for a late spectacle.
But there’s no room for complacency if Inter are to start a top-flight season with four consecutive home victories for the first time since 2017/18.
Player to Watch: Lautaro Martinez
The Argentina international has been a menace for the visiting defenses at Meazza, with six of his last seven Serie A goals coming at this venue. After two straight scoring blanks, he’ll be heavily motivated to find the net on Wednesday.
Sassuolo
Despite going into this clash as pre-match outsiders, Sassuolo won’t shy away from the task. Dionisi’s men are familiar with a sweet taste of win at San Siro, having thumped Milan 5-2 last January. On top of that, they stunned Inter on their penultimate visit to this stadium with an emphatic 2-0 triumph in February 2022.
Sassuolo have done a sterling job keeping this fixture competitive over the years. They have racked up eight wins in 20 previous Serie A encounters against Inter (D2, L8). But the visitors must pay attention to their growing defensive woes after conceding 2+ goals on their two league travels this season (L2).
Those results put them at risk of starting a new Serie A campaign with three successive defeats on hostile turf for the first time since 2019/20.
Player to Watch: Domenico Berardi
With all due respect to Andrea Pinamonti’s eye-catching form, Berardi will probably be Sassuolo’s best chance of penetrating Inter’s defense. The Italian winger has scored three times in his last three league appearances.
Team News
Besides long-term absentee Stefano Sensi and Juan Cuadrado, who picked up an injury during the international break, Inter cannot call upon veteran striker Marko Arnautovic. The Austrian has suffered a nasty thigh problem and faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
As for Sassuolo, first-choice goalkeeper Andrea Consigli is still unavailable for selection, but there’s a chance Agustin Alvarez could make the matchday squad. The rest of Dionisi’s squad will touch down at Meazza.
Inter vs Sassuolo Potential Lineups
Inter (3-5-2): Yann Sommer; Benjamin Pavard, Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco; Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram.
Sassuolo (4-2-3-1): Alessio Cragno; Jeremy Toljan, Mattia Viti, Martin Erlic, Matias Vina; Daniel Boloca, Matheus Henrique; Domenico Berardi, Nedim Bajrami, Armand Lauriente; Andrea Pinamonti.
Inter vs Sassuolo Prediction
This fixture has a high-scoring drama written all over it, but we expect Inter to come out on top and continue making strides at the start of the new campaign. We wouldn’t put it past Sassuolo to trouble the scoresheet.
Prediction: Inter Win
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