At 8.45pm on the Inter-Atalanta pitch, recovery of the 21st day of the Serie A championship LIVE
Inter does not want to slow down its progress and aims to overcome one of the last significant obstacles in the Scudetto fight.
In a San Siro that is heading towards yet another sellout, Gasperini's Atalanta will arrive in the recovery of the match postponed to January for the Super Cup: a particularly tricky match, with Inzaghi's Nerazzurri having set their sights on the goal of flying to + 12 in the standings over Juventus.
Obtaining the three points against the Bergamo team could mean making a definitive breakthrough in the head-to-head match against the Bianconeri, also approaching the return match of the Champions League round of 16 against Atletico Madrid with greater serenity.
Furthermore, the numbers are on the side of Inzaghi's men, who in 2024 are traveling at a very high pace with ten victories in the first ten matches of the year, scoring four goals in each of the last three championship matches.
Furthermore, at San Siro, the Nerazzurri have also won their last seven home games in Serie A. Numbers which are reflected in the standings, given the 66 points collected in the first 25 games: only in 2006/07 had Inter done better, with 67 points won by the team then coached by Mancini.
Thanks to a defensive compactness that has few precedents in Inter's history (16 games out of 25 without conceding a goal, as only in 1988/89) but also to a Lautaro Martinez version of captain and driving force behind goals.
The Argentine, with 22 goals in 23 matches, is aiming for the record of Immobile and Higuain (36 goals in the single championship) and has his sights set on Atalanta, against whom he has always done well: in fact, previous records speak of five goals and two assists for Lautaro in the nine matches against the Bergamo players in Serie A.
Inzaghi will thus once again rely on his striker, among the confirmations compared to the formation seen in Lecce.
Together with Lautaro in attack, however, Arnautovic should be seen, favorite in the run-off with Sanchez.
Sommer will return to goal after the flu syndrome that kept him out in Puglia, while in defense together with the confirmed De Vrij Pavard and Bastoni should start from the 1st.
Thanks to the absence of Calhanoglu, Asllani will still be in charge after the good performance in Lecce, with the confirmation of Mkhitaryan (albeit in a run-off with Frattesi) and the return of Barella, with Darmian taking up his place on the right wing and Dimarco he will still start on the left.
Probable lineups
Inter (3-5-2): 1 Sommer;
28 Pavard, 6 De Vrij, 95 Bastoni;
36 Darmian, 23 Barella, 21 Asllani, 22 Mkhitaryan, 32 Dimarco;
8 Arnautovic, 10 Lautaro (12 Di Gennaro, 77 Audero, 2 Dumfries, 14 Klaassen, 16 Frattesi, 17 Buchanan, 30 Carlos Augusto, 31 Bisseck, 70 Sanchez).
All.: S.Inzaghi.
Disqualified: none.
Rejected from a booking: Bastoni, Mkhitaryan.
Unavailable: Thuram, Acerbi, Cuadrado, Calhanoglu, Sensi.
Atalanta (3-4-2-1): 29 Carnesecchi;
19 Djimsiti, 4 Hien, 23 Kolasinac;
3 Holm, 15 De Roon, 13 Ederson, 20 Bakker;
7 Koopmeiners, 8 Pasalic;
17 De Ketelaere.
(1 Musso, 31 Rossi, 2 Toloi, 6 Palomino, 42 Scalvini, 22 Ruggeri, 33 Hateboer, 77 Zappacosta, 25 Adopo, 11 Lookman, 59 Miranchuk, 10 Touré, 90 Scamacca).
All.: Gasperini.
Disqualified: none.
Resigned from booking: De Roon, Holm, Zappacosta.
Unavailable: none.
Referee: Colombo from Como
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