Inter Milanvs.Monza

After letting a vital victory over Napoli slip from their grasp last weekend, Inter secured a first-leg lead in their Champions League tie, and they now seek a win against the top flight's last-placed side.

Match preview

Having recently overtaken predecessors Napoli in the fight to retain their Serie A title, Inter missed a golden chance to turn the screw last Saturday evening, when the Scudetto rivals locked horns in Naples.

A brilliant Federico Dimarco free kick put the Nerazzurri on course to lead by four points with 11 rounds remaining, but they went on to concede a late equaliser and had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

After a tired performance, reliant on last-ditch defending and featuring no goal attempts at all after half time, Simone Inzaghi's men then roused themselves for Wednesday's trip to Rotterdam, where Feyenoord were their hosts at De Kuip.

They clinched a 2-0 win in the first leg of the sides' Champions League last-16 tie, as Marcus Thuram made the breakthrough shortly before half time and his strike partner Lautaro Martinez took just five second-half minutes to net the second.

In doing so, 'El Toro' not only took his team within touching distance of the quarter-finals but also became Inter's all-time leading scorer in either the Champions League or European Cup with 18 goals.

Inzaghi and co are still fighting on three fronts, with a Coppa Italia semi-final against city rivals AC Milan coming up next month, plus a tight title race lying ahead: they will begin this matchday just six points clear of fourth-placed Juventus, which is the smallest such gap at this late stage of a season throughout the 21st century.

With maximum points from their last three league fixtures in Milan, Inter now aim to post four consecutive home wins for the first time in almost a year.

A disappointing 1-1 draw in September's reverse fixture - when Denzel Dumfries had to spare their blushes with a late leveller - should serve as a reminder not to take Monza lightly, in spite of their lowly status.

Monza's only victory in four top-flight visits to San Siro - versus either Inter or Milan - came in their very first Serie A game at the famous old stadium, against Inter in April 2023.

Both clubs have fallen below last term's standards this season, as the rock-bottom Brianzoli have only accrued 14 points so far (22 fewer than at this point last year) and, despite topping the table, Inter have picked up 14 fewer.

Monza boss Alessandro Nesta - a former Milan defender - returns to San Siro with his team severely short of confidence and surely bound for Serie B.

Last week's 2-0 defeat to Torino left them nine points shy of safety, and they have now failed to even score a goal in any of their last three home fixtures.

Averaging under one per game, only Lecce have scored fewer than the Biancorossi's meagre tally of 21, so there is apparently no end in sight to their campaign of abject misery.

With under a dozen games to go, Monza would be effectively cut adrift by another defeat this week - and the odds are stacked against them defying Inter for a second time this season.

Inter Milan Serie A form:

D

L

W

L

W

D

Inter Milan form (all competitions):

W

L

W

W

D

W

Monza Serie A form:

L

L

L

D

L

L

Team News

Amid a congested schedule, Simone Inzaghi could rest key players before Feyenoord's visit on Tuesday, with either - or both - of Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez possibly dropping down to the bench.

The latter may be keen to play some part and boost his goal total, though, as he has scored five times in five Serie A appearances against Monza, averaging one strike every 67 minutes.

The hosts will still be without several wing-backs - Matteo Darmian, Federico Dimarco and Nicola Zalewski - but Inzaghi has indicated that Carlos Augusto may return to the fold. After recovering from a thumb injury, first-choice goalkeeper Yann Sommer is also available.

Meanwhile, Monza are missing several men: ex-Inter trio Stefano Sensi, Roberto Gagliardini and Luca Caldirola, plus Gianluca Caprari, Andrea Carboni and Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro.

In search of a rare goal, Alessandro Nesta switched to a two-man attack last time out, as winter signings Silvere Ganvoula and Keita Balde were paired - albeit without much success.

Balde scored five goals in 24 league games for Inter in 2018-19 and has also notched three against them; he will vie with Dany Mota - who netted Monza's goal in the reverse fixture - for selection up front.

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Pavard; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Augusto; Correa, L. Martinez

Monza possible starting lineup:

Turati; D'Ambrosio, Izzo, Palacios; Pereira, Zeroli, Bianco, Kyriakopoulos; Ciurria; Balde, Ganvoula

We say: Inter Milan 3-0 Monza

This game will see Serie A's best attack take on its third-worst defence, while Monza can barely buy a goal and Inter (12) are only second to Juventus (14) in terms of clean sheets.

Written by

Jonathan O'Shea

Previews by email