In pursuit of expanding their current nine-point advantage at the top of the Serie A table, contenders for the league title, Inter Milan, are set to host Atalanta BC, who are vying for a spot in the Champions League, at the San Siro on Wednesday evening.
This encounter marks the first meeting between the two sides since November of the previous year, during which goals from Hakan Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez secured a 2-1 victory for Inter Milan on the road.
Match Preview
Inter Milan maintained their flawless performance record in 2024 by convincingly defeating Lecce 4-0 in an away match on Sunday, positioning themselves favorably for a potential second Scudetto in four seasons. Notable striker Martinez secured his 24th and 25th goals of the campaign across all competitions, complemented by goals from Davide Frattesi and Stefan de Vrij, thereby enabling the Nerazzurri to secure their 10th consecutive victory since the beginning of the year.
Simone Inzaghi’s team has encountered only one defeat in their 25 Serie A fixtures this season, leading both in goals scored (61) and goals conceded (12) within the division. A forthcoming triumph on Wednesday would propel them 12 points ahead of second-placed Juventus, with 13 games remaining in the season.
In their upcoming match against Atalanta, Inter endeavors to achieve a historic seventh successive Serie A victory at the commencement of a calendar year, a feat unprecedented in their history. Their recent dominance over Atalanta includes victories in their last four encounters across all competitions and an undefeated streak of 10 top-flight matches against the Bergamo-based club.
Despite Atalanta’s own impressive 10-game unbeaten run in 2024, accumulating 17 points from seven Serie A fixtures, they face their second visit to San Siro in three days, following a 1-1 draw with AC Milan. While Gian Piero Gasperini’s team currently occupies fifth place in Serie A, only two points adrift from fourth-placed Bologna, their away form has been inconsistent, winning four, drawing three, and losing five of their 12 top-flight away matches this season.
Although Atalanta possess a strong home record in Serie A, they have struggled against Inter at San Siro, failing to secure a victory in their last nine league encounters since their consecutive triumphs in April 2013 (3-4) and March 2014 (1-2).
Team news
Several players from Inter Milan, including Marcus Thuram, Juan Cuadrado, Francesco Acerbi, and Stefano Sensi, continue to be sidelined due to injuries, specifically Achilles, muscle, and ankle issues. Additionally, Yann Sommer’s availability is uncertain due to a virus that prevented his participation in the previous weekend’s victory over Lecce.
In the event that Sommer is unable to play, Emil Audero is poised to once again assume the role of goalkeeper. Manager Inzaghi faces the decision of whether to persist with Yann Aurel Bisseck and Carlos Augusto in the defensive trio alongside De Vrij or reintroduce Benjamin Pavard and Alessandro Bastoni.
Nicolo Barella is vying for a return to the center midfield position, potentially displacing Kristjan Asllani. Up front, there is a possibility of Alexis Sanchez starting alongside Martinez instead of Marko Arnautovic.
On the Atalanta side, the team enjoys a clean bill of health leading into Wednesday’s match, with Ademola Lookman recently returning to the first-team after recovering from an ankle injury. Lookman, who made a substitute appearance against Milan in the last fixture, may be considered for a starting position alongside Charles De Ketelaere, possibly replacing Aleksei Miranchuk.
Manager Gasperini is unlikely to make significant changes to the starting lineup, although the return of Davide Zappacosta at right wing-back in place of Emil Holm is a potential alteration under consideration.
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Audero; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Frattesi, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Sanchez, Martinez
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; Koopmeiners; Lookman, De Ketelaere