Inter Milan vs Roma

Stadio Giuseppe Meazza forms the backdrop for a blockbuster Serie A encounter between Inter Milan and Roma.

Inter Milan’s ‘treble’ dream evaporated in midweek Coppa Italia action as a dismal 3-0 defeat to bitter rivals AC Milan halted their cup run in the semi-finals. That result added insult to injury after last weekend’s 1-0 loss at Bologna allowed Napoli to draw level on points at Serie A’s table summit, compromising Inter’s chances of becoming the first reigning Scudetto holders to defend the crown in five years. With a mouth-watering Champions League semi-final tie waiting in the wings, Simone Inzaghi’s side must set their priorities straight, especially with fatigue kicking in. The impending home return should bolster Inter’s spirits, considering they’ve won their last six Serie A matches at Meazza despite conceding in five of them! However, their free-scoring attack has netted 2+ goals in eight of their nine most recent home league outings.

In the meantime, Roma will be out to enact revenge for a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in October’s reverse fixture, which formed part of a dismal run of seven defeats in nine Serie A games at the time. However, Claudio Ranieri has turned Roma’s fortunes around, with ‘I Giallorossi’ boasting a jaw-dropping 17-game unbeaten streak in Serie A heading into this contest (W12, D5). As a result of their incredible resurgence under the veteran manager, Roma commenced this round only three points adrift of fourth-placed Bologna, meaning they’re in a decent position to secure Champions League qualification for the first time since 2018/19. Still, they must defy history to keep their unbeaten run going after losing their last four top-flight H2Hs against Inter.