Inter Milan vs Cagliari

First place Inter Milan play host to Cagliari at the San Siro in their week 35 match in Serie A. This contest will feature a direct clash between clubs coming off of important victories in the last round, with the neroazzurri looking to finally put AS Roma away.

Inter Milan were winners by a score 0-1 win over Torino in round 34 and this result helped them to increase their advantage over 2^nd place AS Roma to 6 points with just 4 games remaining in the present campaign as they have 78 points to AS Roma’s 72. The neroazzurri are currently undefeated over their last four matches, have won 3 in a row, and have not conceded a goal in any of those three games. At this time the injured list for manager Roberto Mancini includes Ivan Ramiro Cordoba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luis Figo. Look for Balotelli and Julio Cruz to make the start in attack.

Cagliari held serve at home in week 34 in a match which they absolutely had to have by a score of 2-0 at the Sant’Elia over relegation threatened Empoli. With their big victory i sardi are now 15^th in the Serie A table with 35 points. They sit just behind 14^th place Catania and 1 point ahead of 16^th place Torino. Cagliari have now opened up a 5 point gap between themselves and the clubs fighting in the drop zone. Ballardini’s squad have been able to climb 5 spots in the league table since his appointment as manager. Cagliari have now won 2 important matches in succession having won away to Livorno the week before last. On the injury front, the club will be without Marchini and Parola who are both injured, while Foggia, Fini, and Pisano are out suspended. Matri and Jeda are set to start upfront.

Inter Milan have been a rock at home this season with 14 wins and 2 draws from 17 matches. They finally opened up some breathing room over Roma last week when they were able to stretch their lead to 6 points. This game at home to Cagliari could go a long way to putting out Roma’s last flickering hopes of a title. Cagliari have been much better of late but it is hard to envision them getting anything better than a draw from a match, if that. Look for Inter to hold serve at home.

Prediction: Inter Milan (1-0)

Inter Milan vs Fiorentina

League leaders Inter Milan play host to Fiorentina in the ‘other’ big match of week 33 in Serie A. Inter Milan are looking to extend their unbeaten run to 3 matches as they try to pull away from AS Roma while the visiting Fiorentina are riding high following a big win over PSV Eindhoven in their UEFA Cup that allowed them to advance to the semi final.

Inter are currently in first place with 72 points on the season and maintain a 4 point edge on Roma. In their last match, the squad managed by Roberto Mancini scored a 0-2 win over Atalanta at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri D’Italia. The win was the neroazzurri’s 2^nd in their last 5 games to go with 2 draws and 1 loss. Inter Milan continue to have a number of injury concerns this week with Zlatan Ibrahimovic headlining an injured list that includes Dacourt, Samuel, Cordoba and Rivas. Balotelli is set to take the spot left open by Ibrahimovic alongside Argentine striker Julio Cruz. On a positive note, Chivu is set to start at the back.

Fiorentina were winners at home last week as they held serve over the struggling Reggina by a score of 2-0 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. The win continued a trend for the viola in recent weeks that has seen them win at home and then lose away and they have posted 3 home wins and 2 road losses over their past 5 games. This is a change for Fiorentina as earlier in the season they were among the top clubs in the league away from home. At this time the side managed by Cesare Prandelli are in 4^th place of Serie A with 56 points and sit 2 points back of 3^rd place Juventus and 4 points up on 4^th place AC Milan. The one confirmed injury absence for this match is Semioli while Donadel will sit out suspended. Fiorentina look set to go with a 4-3-3 featuring Mutu, Pazzini and Santana in attack while Christian Vieri will sit on the bench.

This could prove to be a tough match for the neroazzurri given that the injuries seem to have been taking a toll of late especially in attack with Ibrahimovic and Cruz rarely starting together over the past 2 months. However, Fiorentina’s problems away from home where they have lost 4 of their last 5 games makes them especially vulnerable in this match considering that Inter have won 13 of 16 games with 2 draws at home this year.

Prediction: Inter Milan (2-1)

Atalanta vs Inter Milan

Atalanta face a Milan club for the second straight week in Round 32 of Serie A as they host Inter Milan at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri D’Italia. Last week they were able to score an improbable victory over AC Milan and will be looking to make it two for two this week. Inter Milan have been struggling a bit of late but remain in first place of the league table as the season enters the final stretch.

Atalanta came up with a most unexpected win on the road last week as they surprised AC Milan by a score of 1-2 at the San Siro. With the victory the side managed by Gigi Del Neri are now in 9^th place of the league table with 41 points on the year. They sit 1 point behind 8^th place Genoa and 1 point ahead of 10^th place SS Napoli. Atalanta are now unbeaten over their last two games and have posted 2 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw over their last 5. There is bad news on the injury from this week for the bergamaschi as defender Rivalta has been ruled out for the next 3 weeks due to injury. He will be replaced by either Belleri or Capelli. Costinha, Muslimovic and Talamonti round out the rest of the injured list while Carrozzieri will sit out suspended.

The neroazzurri are currently going through one of their toughest stretches of the season but remain in first place with 69 points, 4 ahead of 2^nd place AS Roma. In their last match, Inter Milan played to a 1-1 draw away to Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico. The draw extends the league leaders’ winless run to 3 matches. The side managed by Roberto Mancini have obtained 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss over their last 5 games. On the injury front, Dacourt, Samuel and Cordoba remain out. Figo and Cambiasso are set to start while Ibrahimovic, Suazo and Cruz are likely to start this away day on the bench.

Atalanta will have a hard time trying to top themselves after last week’s effort. Even with all of Inter Milan’s recent struggles, Atalanta’s home record is still not as good as Inter’s road record. This one has stalemate written all over it.

Prediction: Draw (1-1)

Genoa vs Inter Milan

The losing streak continued for Genoa in week 28 and things do not get any brighter on their horizon as league leaders Inter Milan pay a visit to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris at Marassi. The lone bright spot for the genovese club is that they will be playing for the second time in 4 days and this could help them digest their last loss a lot quicker.

Genoa were losers over the week as they dropped the 3 points on the road at the Stadio Artemio Franchi by a score of 3-1 to Fiorentina. The loss leaves the side managed by Gasperini in 10^th place of Serie A with 35 points for the present campaign. They are 1 point behind 9^th place Palermo and sit just 1 point up on 11^th place SS Lazio. Il grifone have now dropped 3 straight matches and have been outscored by 7-2 over those 3 games. The injured list remains unchanged for this match with Paro, Bovo and Rubinho having been ruled out, while Leon is out suspended. Given the Honduran international’s absence in attack, look for Sculli to join Borriello in attack as Genoa switch from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2.

While they may have suffered their first defeat of the season just 2 weeks ago, Inter Milan have proceeded to pick up where they were before that result and have won their next 2 matches. The neroazzurri are coming off of a 2-1 win over Palermo at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.. The 3 points allow the side managed by Roberto Mancini to maintain their 6 point advantage over second place AS Roma with 67 points for the season.. With this being a double week, some turnover is to be expected but on a bright note the contest will see Julio Cruz rejoin Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the starting eleven. Dacourt, Samuel, Cordoba, Cesar and Dejan Stankovic are out injured while veteran Marco Materazzi will sit out suspended. Mancini looks set to go with the south american center back pairing of Rivas and Burdisso.

Genoa have it all to do this week on paper but the fact that Cruz is just returning coupled with the absence of Materazzi, Samuel and Cordoba from the back line leaves Inter extremely exposed at the back. Genoa have been solid if unspectacular at home this year and should be able to a least earn a point.

Prediction: Draw (1-1)

Inter Milan vs Palermo

Inter Milan face-off against Palermo at home looking to put the frustration of the Champions League behind them. The league leaders were officially eliminated from said tournament at the hands of Liverpool this past week, while Palermo are coming off of a bad lost at home.

The neroazzurri are currently in first place of the Serie A with 64 points on the year. This is good enough for a 6 point edge on 2^nd place Roma. In their last league match Inter Milan were able to hold serve at home with a 2-0 win at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. Going into that contest Inter were on a 3 match winless run which had seen them draw 2 matches while picking up their first loss of the season. Now with the UEFA Champions League out of the way, Inter Milan can concentrate on the Serie A from this point on. On the injury front this week Inter will be without Dacourt, Samuel, Cordoba, Cesar and Maxwell. Julio Cruz will be available off of the bench, while Ibrahimovic will start upfront with Crespo.

Palermo were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at home by Udinese in week 27. The point leaves Palermo in 8^th place of the league table with 36 points. They are 3 points back of 7^th place Sampdoria and 1 point ahead of 9^th place Genoa. With the draw Palermo are now unbeaten over their last 3 matches, and they have posted 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss over their last 5. This week Francesco Guidolin’s boys are in pretty good health with only Capuano out injured. Miccoli is able to start in attack and this will slide Uruguayan Edison Cavani over to the bench. Palermo will go with their usual 3-5-2.

It will be interesting to see how Inter Milan fare following the disappointment in Europe. Mancini received a lot of criticism for some of his comments after the match and now the club will take to the pitch or the first time. This could be an ideal setting for Palermo to pull off an upset or even hold out for a point, but not likely. Look for Inter to respond with an emphatic win.

Prediction: Inter Milan (2-0)

Inter Milan vs Reggina

Inter Milan are back at the San Siro to host Reggina looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season last week. Reggina are coming off of a disappointing result themselves and are fighting for every point they can get as they remain in the relegation zone. This will be their first match since manager Renzo Ulivieri was sacked.

The neroazzurri had their 25 match unbeaten run snapped last week when they fell to Napoli on the road by a score of 1-0 at the Stadio San Paolo. Their first loss of the season coincided with a AS Roma’s victory in their own match and all of a sudden their once insurmountable lead is down to a very vulnerable 6 point edge. Roberto Mancini’s side have been playing at less than full strength over these past few weeks and this has certainly been a factor in their sloppy play which has seen them win just 2 points from their last 3 matches. This week Dacourt, Samuel, Cordoba, Cesar, and Maxwell remain out injured, while Chivu is out suspended. The good news is that Ibrahimovic will return to the starting eleven and Julio Cruz will be available off of the bench.

Reggina come into this contest in 19^th place of the Serie A table with 22 points. They sit 2 points back of 18^th place Catania and hold a 4 point edge on last place Cagliari. In their last match they dropped 2 more points at home when they drew with Palermo by a score of 0-0. The result was the last straw for the board and manager Renzo Ulivieri was sacked after the match. This week new manager Orlandi will make his debut in what is pretty much a thankless situation for him. Reggina have posted just 1 win and 1 draw with 3 losses over their past 5 matches and have not scored a goal over their last 2 games. This week Garcia, Ceravolo and Campagnolo will miss out due to injury.

While Inter Milan have not looked too good over their past 3 matches, this contest against Reggina could not have come at a better time for them. Not only have Reggina not won a match away from home all year, but Inter will be bolstered by the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the starting eleven. Look for Inter Milan to recover in style.

Prediction: Inter (3-0)

Napoli vs Inter Milan

Napoli return home in the middle of a brutal stretch which has seen them lose 3 of their last 4 matches to host unbeaten Inter Milan in the final match of week 26. Inter will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to 26 matches this week.

Napoli’s woes continued with yet another loss, this time on the road to Genoa. The loss leaves the side managed by Reja in 11^th place of the league table with 30 points on the present campaign. The partenopei sit 4 points back of 10^th place Palermo and 1 point ahead of 12^th place Lazio. If they are still going to make a run at a european qualifying spot they will have to begin winning matches at home soon and that means this week against the very tough Inter. This week the injured list includes Cupi, Garics, Iezzo and Pazienza while Domizzi is suspended. The good news is that Marcelo Zalayeta returns from suspension.

The neroazzurri had their unbeaten run pushed to the brink in their week 25 match at home to Roma. After 80 minutes they were down 0-1 and only a late goal by club captain Javier Zanetti helped them see off the challenge of 2^nd place Roma. Thanks to the draw, the side managed by Roberto Mancini maintain a 9 point lead over Roma with 61 points to their 52. Inter Milan continue to be plagued by a number of injuries but that has been the case for some time this season and they still continue to breeze through Serie A. The confirmed absences this week involve Dacourt, Samuel, Cordoba, Cesar, Cambiasso, Maxwell, Burdisso and the club’s two best scorers- Ibrahimovic and Cruz. Any other side would be paralyzed by such absences but Inter’s depth is strong enough that they should be able to make due in the mean time. Suazo and Crespo will hold things down in attack with Maniche, Vieira and Figo in midfield.

Technically this would be the ideal match in which Napoli could get back on track. They are at home against an injury plagued Inter Milan outfit that is due to lose at some point. However, Inter showed tremendous grit and determination to fight for the point against Roma and were able to prove that they can obtain important results even when their most important players are not available. Look for Inter to pull out yet another draw as Napoli appear too inconsistent at this time to be able to win against a side of such quality.

Prediction: Draw (1-1)

Inter Milan vs Roma

Inter Milan return home in Round 25 hoping to extend their unbeaten run to 25 matches when they host AS Roma at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza at San Siro. As Roma were able to inch closer to Inter over the weekend and now come into this contest with a chance to move to within 6 points of the top spot with a victory.

The neroazzurri played to a 1-1 draw in their week 24 match away to Sampdoria at Marassi. The draw leaves Roberto Mancini’s side in 1^st place of Serie A with 60 points on the season which are the product of an impressive 18 wins and 6 draws for the year. They hold a 9 point edge over 2^nd place Roma and appear well on their way to a 3^rd straight league title. With the squad currently going through a steady stretch of matches that have seen them play a match every 3 days, it is expected that there will be some turnover in the starting eleven this week. Look for Julio Cruz to get another day off with Zlatan Ibrahimovic joining. Argentine Hernan Crespo is expected to join David Suazo of Honduras in the attack. Colombian international Ivan Ramiro Cordoba is not expected to start either.

This contest will be AS Roma’s best chance this season to crack into Inter Milan’s big lead. A victory hear will seen them climb to 54 points and within just 6 of the top spot. However, there is a reason why Inter have yet to lose a match this season and it will take a superb effort from the giallorossi to pull it off. Last week the side managed by Nedo Spaletti were able to hold serve at home and defeat Fiorentina by a score of 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico. It was their 4^th victory over their last 6 matches and was a great way to bounce back from the tough lost against Juventus 7 days earlier. There are two confirmed absences at this time for Roma in Curci and Mancini, while Cicinho is out suspended. The loss of Mancini may not be as painful however as Vucinic was superb against Fiorentina.

This contest is literally a final for Roma. If they win away to Inter they remove the air of invincibility from the squad currently in first place and reopen the title chance. If they draw or even lose, the contest might be over. Given how strong and disciplined Inter have looked this season, they appear to be good enough for a draw.

Prediction: Draw (1-1)

Sampdoria vs Inter Milan

Sampdoria are the latest Serie A side to be given a crack at trying to stop the runaway train that is Inter Milan in week 24 as they host the league leaders at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris at Marassi. Inter are the only side in the league that have yet to lose a match this year.

The blucerchiati come into this contest off of a big win in their derby match away to Genoa by a score of 0-1. With those 3 points Samp are now in 7^th place of the league table with 34 points on the season. That leaves them 2 points back of 6^th place Udinese and 3 ahead of 8^th place Palermo. They have now won 2 straight matches and 3 of their last 5 with 1 draw along the way. Manager Mazzari has had 3 players ruled out for this contest against the mighty Inter and they are Montella and Sala due to injury while Volpi is out suspended. Sammarco, who had been out for a while due to injury will return to the bench.

Inter Milan have been just like clockwork so far this season. In week 23 they produced yet another win, this time by a score of 2-0 at the Stadio San Siro over Livorno. That win, coupled with Roma’s loss to Juventus helps manager Roberto Mancini’s side open up an 11 point lead over the second place Roma with 59 points on the season. They are now winners of 3 straight matches and have not conceded a goal in 4 straight. The club did suffer some adversity early this week when they lost away to Liverpool in the Champions League by a score of 2-0 which leaves them in a very dangerous spot at home for the return leg. Also, the club will be missing quite a few starters this week including their striker combination of Julio Cruz and Zlatan Ibrahimovic who are both expected to sit. Suazo and Crespo are likely to take their spots. Meanwhile, Colombian international Ivan Ramiro Cordoba joins Dacourt, Samuel and Jimenez on the injured list.

This match represents the best chance Sampdoria could hope for to defeat Inter. The neroazzurri are down after losing to the Reds and are missing a number of key players. Still, defensively they are spectacular and it will take an almost perfect performance from Sampdoria to pull off the upset.

Prediction: Draw (0-0)

Catania vs Inter Milan

Catania are certainly up against the ropes in week 22 of Serie A as they are up against league leaders Inter Milan. In fact, the neroazzurri are the only side in the entire league that have yet to lose a match this season.

The side managed by Baldini come into this contest after losing on the road to Genoa last week by a score of 2-1. The loss extended Catania’s current winless run to 5 consecutive matches and they have not been able to win a match in 2008. The loss also keeps them winless away from home this season. The fact that Catania cannot win away from home puts more pressure on them to come through with a win this week regardless of the fact that they are taking on the mighty Inter. Catania’s current poor stretch of results which has seen them lose 3 of their last 5, drops them to 12^th place in Serie A with 23 points. They are 4 points back of Napoli and just ahead of Lazio on goal difference.

There is not much left to say about Inter Milan. They have dominated the Serie A over the past 2 seasons and no other side in the league appears able to keep up with them this season now that AS Roma have had their 13 match unbeaten run snapped. In week 21 the neroazzurri held serve at home by a score of 1-0 over Empoli at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium. The win catapults the side managed by Roberto Mancini to 53 points on the year and they hold an 8 point advantage over 2^nd place Roma. They have been extremely strong away from home this year as well with 6 wins and 4 draws from 10 matches. While the injury list remains cluttered with Inter continue to role along. This week Maicon, Dacourt, Samuel, Cesar and Stankovic have all been ruled out while Vieira is out suspended. However, the play of the Chilean Jimenez along with Burdisso and Ibrahimovic upfront ensures that Inter Milan will still field a dominant starting eleven.

While Catania are having a very respectable first season back in Serie A, they would have to play what would amount to almost a perfect match in order to take the points this week. Inter Milan are about as well oiled a machine as can be and the play of their two strikers has been nothing short of spectacular. At best Catania will nab a share of the points.

Prediction: Draw (0-0)

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