Inter Milan vs Roma – News and Probable Lineups

Inter Milan’s quest for the Serie A title continues this weekend as they host Roma at San Siro for a Sunday evening fixture.

While Inter holds a six-point lead over AC Milan at the top of the table, recent performances have kept their crosstown rivals competitive with eight matches left in the season.

Match overview

Following their victory over Juventus in the latest Derby d’Italia, Inter has struggled to maintain their high performance across three different competitions – a situation exacerbated by the absence of their inspirational captain, Lautaro Martinez.

Back-to-back defeats to Bodo/Glimt saw them eliminated from the Champions League; following that, they managed a win against Genoa and played to a goalless draw in the cup against Como, but then lost to Milan in the Derby della Madonnina.

Under Cristian Chivu, the team was held to a late equalizer against Atalanta and experienced their first three-match winless streak in the league since April 2023.

Before the international break, they allowed an early advantage to slip away against relegation-threatened Fiorentina at Stadio Franchi, ultimately finishing with a 1-1 draw.

This has reduced their once commanding lead in Serie A to six points, with reigning champions Napoli now just seven points behind.

However, Chivu’s inaugural season might still culminate in a notable domestic double: Inter’s Coppa Italia semi-final against Como will conclude with the home leg later this month.

Despite a setback in their proud European record, they have remained difficult to beat at home this season, recording 11 wins, two draws, and just two losses in Serie A.

Just a day before Milan and Napoli face off in Campania, Inter will look to regain their momentum by overcoming Roma, a side they narrowly defeated 1-0 in the earlier match in October.

Having previously had difficulties at San Siro, Roma has surprisingly managed to secure two wins in their last three away games against Inter, with Matias Soule scoring the winning goal there nearly a year ago.

After dealing with a disappointing exit from the Europa League against Bologna, they wrapped up their preparations for the international break with a 1-0 victory over Lecce, thus ending a costly five-match winless run.

This result positioned them alongside Juventus on 54 points, just three behind fourth-placed Como in a heated battle for Italy’s final Champions League spot – but they now face a challenging stretch ahead.

Set to clash with Atalanta, Fiorentina, Bologna again, and long-time rivals Lazio before the season concludes, Roma will be greeted with arguably their sternest challenge to date.

Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who had a short and unsuccessful term as Inter’s manager a few years back, has suffered more defeats against the Nerazzurri than any other coach: 18 out of 32 encounters thus far.

Moreover, his current team has accumulated 10 points fewer away from home compared to the 32 they have tallied at their own stadium, with Roma’s last away victory in all competitions dating back to January.

In fact, seven of the capital team’s 10 league losses have occurred in away matches, making this long trip north a daunting prospect rather than an anticipated one.

Team News

Inter captain Martinez is poised to make his first start since February, looking to make up for lost time this Sunday evening.

Despite his lengthy absence, ‘El Toro’ still tops the Capocannoniere charts with 14 goals in the league – eight of which have come in matches where he opened the scoring.

Co-striker Marcus Thuram has not been at his peak in recent months but, having ended a 17-match drought for France, is set to compete with Pio Esposito for a place in the lineup.

The latter has scored the latest two goals for the Nerazzurri; however, he squandered a significant opportunity and missed a penalty as Italy was eliminated from their latest World Cup playoff against Bosnia-Herzegovina after Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni received a red card.

Enduring considerable media scrutiny, Bastoni is still expected to play this weekend, as both Yann Bisseck and Carlos Augusto are unavailable; former Lazio defender Françasco Acerbi may also step in to replace Bisseck.

If chosen, Acerbi will be tasked with containing Roma’s key striker Donyell Malen; since his arrival in mid-January, Malen has become the leading scorer in Serie A with seven goals.

Gasperini has leaned on the Netherlands international amid numerous attacking injuries, but Paulo Dybala and Artem Dovbyk are closing in on returns; Evan Ferguson remains sidelined with an ankle issue.

Soule and Inter transfer target Manu Kone are now back in full training, but wing-back Wesley has sustained a muscular injury while on international duty and will be sidelined for at least two weeks.

Inter Milan probable starting XI:

Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Roma probable starting XI:

Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, El Aynaoui, Tsimikas; Soule, Pellegrini; Malen

The anticipated return of their star player should stop the decline for Inter, keeping them on the path to reclaim the Italian title.

A frontline led by Lautaro Martinez is capable of penetrating Roma’s typically solid defense, providing a competitive edge in a matchup between teams that often find it tough to conquer fellow top-six opponents.