Inter Milan will look to extend their lead in the Serie A when they host Atalanta BC. The two teams will play for the first time since November of last year. The Nerazzurri won 2-1 on the road behind goals from Hakan Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez.
Preview (Inter Milan vs Atalanta BC)
With their decisive 4-0 victory away from home against Lecce on Sunday, Inter Milan maintained their perfect record in 2024 and took the lead for a second Scudetto in four seasons. The Nerazzurri won their tenth straight game since the start of the year thanks to goals from star striker Martinez. He netted his 24th and 25th goals of the season in all competitions. Other goals came from Davide Frattesi and Stefan de Vrij. In addition to having only lost one of their 25 Serie A games this season, Simone Inzaghi’s team leads the division in goals scored (61) and goals allowed (12). A victory on Wednesday would put them in a position to climb up to 12 points.
When Inter plays Atalanta, a team they have enjoyed great success against recently. They will attempt to win a seventh straight Serie A game at the beginning of a calendar year. The Nerazzurri have triumphed in all four of their most recent competition games with Atalanta. They have yet to lose any of their ten prior meetings in the top division with La Dea. It marked their longest unbeaten streak against the Bergamo-based team. Though they have a 10-game winning streak in 2024 across all competitions.
After a 1-1 draw with AC Milan the previous weekend, La Dea is preparing for their second trip to San Siro in as many days. Teun Koopmeiners salvaged a point with an erroneously awarded penalty kick at the end of the first half to offset Rafael Leao’s early opener. Gian Piero Gasperini’s team is in the same spot after 25 games this season. They finished fifth in Serie A the previous year. They are just two points behind surprise packages Bologna in fourth place.
Team News
The Inter Milan foursome of Stefano Sensi (ankle), Francesco Acerbi (muscle), Juan Cuadrado (both Achilles), and Marcus Thuram (ankle) are still out with injuries, and Yann Sommer is questionable due to a sickness that kept him out of the team’s victory against Lecce last weekend. If Sommer is deemed unable to play, Emil Audero will take over in goal once more. Meanwhile, Inzaghi will consider starting Yann Aurel Bisseck and Carlos Augusto in the back three alongside De Vrij or calling up both Benjamin Pavard and Alessandro Bastoni.
Nicolo Barella is expected to push for a return to central midfield, replacing Kristjan Asllani. Alexis Sanchez may start alongside Martinez up front instead of Marko Arnautovic. Ademola Lookman is the most recent first-team player to return after a stint out with an ankle injury, giving Atalanta a clean sheet of health going into their match on Wednesday.
Lookman last played against Milan during halftime. Nevertheless, he could be called up to the starting lineup in place of Aleksei Miranchuk. He will partner up front with Charles De Ketelaere. Gasperini is not likely to make many, if any, changes to his starting lineup; although, he might think about moving Edgar Holm back to right wing-back and starting David Zappacosta in his place of him.
Inter Milan 3-1 Atalanta BC
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