Inter Milan
vs
AS Roma
Kick-off
19:45 GMT
21 January 2018
The Serie A is at the halfway stage and a clear pattern is starting to emerge as to which sides are challenging for which places. Every year the top four places in Italy’s top-flight are hotly contested and two of the sides that are there or thereabouts face each other on Sunday. Inter, who are 3rd, and Roma, who are 5th, will both be expected to finish in the Champions League positions and they meet this weekend.
The recent results between these two Italian giants have been, as you’d expect, very even and in the last five meetings, there has been just one draw and two wins for each side. The reverse fixture this season saw Inter win 3-1 thanks to a brace from Icardi after going a goal behind early on. Roma won by the same scoreline the last time the two teams played at the San Siro, which was in February of last year. March 2014 is how far you would have to go back to find the last goalless draw between them, this fixture tends to produce goals.
Inter massively need three points on Sunday to have any chance of catching the runaway top two and they have just one injury worry. Energetic midfielder, Joao Mario is expected to make the squad after being out for over a month now, however, he might not be risked.
Latest matches: Inter Milan
05.01.2018 | Seri | AC Fiorentina | Inter Milan | 1:1 | D |
30.12.2017 | Seri | Inter Milan | Lazio Roma | 0:0 | D |
27.12.2017 | Copp | AC Milan | Inter Milan | 1:0 | L |
23.12.2017 | Seri | US Sassuolo | Inter Milan | 1:0 | L |
16.12.2017 | Seri | Inter Milan | Udinese Calcio | 1:3 | L |
A win could take Roma 3rd in Serie A and then they would cease the initiative to close the gap on the division’s front-runners. Maxime Gonalons, Diego Perotti, Luca Pellegrini and Rick Karsdrop are all injured and won’t feature for the visitors.
Latest matches: AS Roma
06.01.2018 | Seri | AS Roma | Atalanta Bergamasca | 1:2 | L |
30.12.2017 | Seri | AS Roma | US Sassuolo | 1:1 | D |
23.12.2017 | Seri | Juventus Turin | AS Roma | 1:0 | L |
20.12.2017 | Copp | AS Roma | Turin FC | 1:2 | L |
16.12.2017 | Seri | AS Roma | Cagliari Calcio | 1:0 | W |
With home advantage, it is only right to assume that Inter will see themselves as favourites to win this one but Inter have beaten Roma at home just twice in almost seven years while Roma have won four times in that spell. Both sides desperately need a win and it could go either way, it could be a fantastic match.
21 January 2018 - 19:45 GMT
Share your opinion about this preview by leaving a comment below.