Inter Milan played out a mammoth UEFA Champions League semi-final with Barcelona with the first leg ending in an entertaining 3-3 draw. Both sides are in the mix to make it to the final in Munich, with the Catalans set to visit the San Siro next Tuesday.
Before that happens, Inter Milan must shift their focus on Serie A as they will have to have belief about still being in the title race. The Nerazzurri have been in a bit of a rut when it comes to domestic competitions including the league. Simone Inzaghi’s side have faced a tough period where they have been ousted from the Copa Italian while losing ground to Napoli in the title race.
Inter Milan have one victory in their last four Serie A games, as they come into this clash with Hellas Verona at the back of consecutive defeats to Bologna and AS Roma. When they do host Verona on Saturday, the Nerazzurri might be six points behind Napoli as the leaders play Lecce earlier, which will add to the pressure on Inzaghi’s side to deliver a win to keep up in the title chase.
Hellas Verona should feel comfortable in their current position as they sit in 16th spot, seven points above 17th-placed Venezia. They do not have a real danger at the moment, but things could get complicated if they end up losing and see their rivals gaining points.
Paolo Zanetti will aim to steer further clear of the relegation zone than they are and will aim to take advantage of Inter Milan’s present situation. Not only are the Nerazzurri under pressure to perform in the league, but they also have a second leg of the Champions League semi-final in, and Verona will also look at their current form as a reference point to take something out of the San Siro.
Verona head to San Siro at the back of a winless run stretching to five games now, while they are on a run of consecutive defeats to Roma and Cagliari. Inter Milan will be the favourites over Zanetti’s men, but given the Nerazzurri’s current form, many, especially Napoli will hope Verona gets something out of this one.
Simone Inzaghi will have to make key selection decisions as the Inter Milan boss will want to manage the league and UEFA Champions League perfectly. There are some key absentees ahead of this fixture, with major concerns emerging over the fitness of skipper Lautaro Martinez. The Argentine suffered a problem in the first half against Barcelona but carried on, although he did not re-enter the pitch for the second half with a thigh injury.
Meanwhile, striker partner Marcus Thuram returned for that game after a three-game absence, and was visibly unfit, meaning Inzaghi will be cautious not to overuse him against Verona, which could potentially see the Frenchman either start the first part of the game or come on as a second-half substitute.
There will either be a start for Mehdi Taremi or he could feature from the bench as Marko Arnautovic will certainly start, although Joaquin Correa is also an option. Meanwhile, Inter Milan are also missing Benjamin Pavard with an injury, while key midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu is suspended for this clash. Kristjan Asllani will replace the Turkish international, while Inzaghi will also replace Nicolo Barella with Davide Frattesi in the midfield setup.
Darmian might come in for Denzel Dumfries, while Nicola Zalewski might get a start ahead of Federico Dimarco. Similarly, Alessandro Bastoni could be afforded a rest as Carlos Augusto might replace him, while Stefan de Vrij might come in for Francesco Acerbi.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, de Vrij, Augusto; Darmian, Frattesi, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, Zalewski; Correa, Arnautovic
Paolo Zanetti has plenty of problems on all parts of the field as Verona will make some enforced changes to face Inter Milan. They are missing key defensive midfielder Pawel Dawidowicz with an injury, while Zanetti will have to find solutions to defensive absentees. Key defenders Diego Coppola and Daniele Ghilardi are suspended for this trip to San Siro.
Verona are also missing top scorer Casper Tengstedt, as Zanetti will have Amin Sarr to lead the line, who has four goals so far with all of those coming away from home. There are considerable doubts about key attacking midfielder Tomas Suslov, who was subbed off on Monday with an illness, as he might be a touch-and-go for this clash with Inter Milan.
Zanetti will prefer a 3-5-2 shape, as Flavius Daniliuc, Nicolas Valentini, and Martin Frese will start in the back three. The midfield setup will see Ondrej Duda sit at the base of the midfield, with Cheikh Niasse and Antoine Bernede on either side. Daniel Mosquera and Sarr will lead the line for Verona.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Montipo; Daniliuc, Valentini, Frese; Tchatchoua, Niasse, Duda, Bernede, Bradaric; Mosquera, Sarr
The French striker is still battling with fitness ahead of the weekend and may even possibly start off the bench in this one. Yet, Simone Inzaghi will want to do something in his game that allows him to make a good decision on his starting striker for next Tuesday against Barcelona.
Lautaro Martinez’s fitness is a troubling prospect for Inter Milan ahead of the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg, and Thuram must take a load of the responsibility here. A good outing against Verona will help the Frenchman build fitness ahead of next week, and a goal might be helpful to build momentum.
Hellas Verona do not have the form nor momentum to dream of any positive result at San Siro. They are currently some way away from the relegation zone, which will give them a bit of a room although a draw or a loss could prove harmful for their chances.
Inter Milan are probably the team under the most pressure in Europe’s top five leagues entering the current matchday this weekend. Simone Inzaghi lickily has the squad depth to make considerable changes keeping the Champions League game in mind, and the Nerazzurri could take three points to keep up with Napoli in the title race.
