Days after a laborious trip to Amsterdam, Inter Milan have the difficult task of facing Sassuolo, who have become an unsolvable puzzle for the Nerazzurri in recent times.
After a shocking start in Serie A, which placed Inter six points below Napoli, the Nerazzurri finally showed some of their real potential in the Champions League, beating Ajax 2-0 away. It wasn’t an entirely flawless performance and both goals fell from corners, but Inter needed that win after back-to-back defeats to Udinese and Juventus. Losing three in a row in the first four rounds would equal their worst-ever start in Serie A, which was recorded 41 years ago.
Sassuolo finally tasted victory when they beat Lazio 1-0 in Round 3, but the fact they haven’t achieved back-to-back wins in almost two years should bring Inter some peace of mind. The Neroverdi, however, were an enigma for the Nerazzurri when they last met in the top flight over a year ago. All in all, both teams have a lot to prove in the coming weeks and neither side can afford losing more points this early.
How the bookies view it: Heavily one-sided odds
There are no surprises in the odds, and bookmakers anticipate a completely one-sided affair. You can pick Inter Milan at 3/10, while Sassuolo’s win has been priced at 11/1. Alternatively, you can back the draw at 19/4.
Recent head-to-head: Sassuolo won twice in a row
Sassuolo spent a season in Serie B and immediately climbed back to the top flight, so the most recent H2Hs are from the 2023/24 season. And back then, the Neroverdi won both games against Inter Milan, who later became champions. Most notably, Sassuolo won 2-1 away at San Siro. But of course, the overall stats are completely in Inter’s favour, as the Nerazzurri won six of the last 10 H2Hs.
Players to watch: Thuram is unstoppable
When will Marcus Thuram stop scoring? Hopefully, not now, as we aim to back him against Sassuolo after his exceptional performance since the start of the season. The 28-year-old has been involved in 42 goals since he joined Inter in 2023, but his output in the new campaign has been otherworldly. He has been involved in at least one goal in every match since the start of the season, most notably scoring both goals to beat Ajax earlier this week. In total, Thuram has five goals and one assist in four appearances this season.
Probable line-ups
Inter Milan: Sommer, Bastoni, Acerbi, Akanji, Calhanoglu, Barella, Dumfries, Sucic, Augusto, Martinez, Thuram
Sassuolo: Muric, Muharemovic, Idzes, Coulibaly, Doig, Vranckx, Matic, Kone, Pinamonti, Berardi, Lauriente
Anything else catch the eye?
On a good day, Sassuolo should be no match for this Inter Milan, and we expect Saturday to be a great day. The Nerazzurri will be buzzing after the huge triumph in Amsterdam and hungry to fix the bad streak against Sassuolo, who have limited resources and are not yet up to speed with the level of the top flight.
All three of Inter’s Serie A games produced more than three goals, as a result of their incredible output and defensive problems. We could see Sassuolo score too, but Inter should win this match and cut the gap to the top of the table.
GambleAware