2 weeks Ago
After an extraordinary Derby d'Italia draw last weekend, Inter Milan will aim to resume their winning ways against Empoli on Wednesday evening. The reigning Serie A champions travel to Stadio Castellani having frittered away a two-goal lead against old foes Juventus, while their hosts saw a month-long winless run extended. Taking only one point from an eight-goal classic at San Siro, Inter were left with a sense of frustration despite putting four past a usually rock-solid Juventus side on Sunday night - particularly as an incredible 4-4 draw allowed Napoli to improve their lead at the top .
A pair of Piotr Zielinski penalties helped the Nerazzurri into a 3-2 lead following one of the most remarkable first halves Serie A has seen in quite some time, and shortly after the restart Denzel Dumfries drilled home a fourth from close range. However, Simone Inzaghi would later bemoan his team's wasting of numerous chances, as Juventus super-sub Kenan Yildiz came off the bench and bagged a brilliant brace. On a more positive note, Inzaghi did highlight that Juve had conceded only one league goal before arriving in Milan, and Inter's growing unbeaten streak was at least preserved.
The Scudetto holders had put together a run of five wins on the spin since losing the Derby della Madonnina to city rivals AC Milan, including a 1-0 Champions League victory over Young Boys last week. Not only are Inter in good shape to qualify directly for the last 16, but they also occupy second place in Serie A. All told, they have lost just once in 12 matches this season, so a midweek trip to Tuscany should hold few fears.
By contrast with Inter's eventful escapades, Empoli's weekend was a little more prosaic, as they played out a 1-1 draw with last season's Serie B champions Parma. Despite having much less of the ball and producing just one shot on target, the Azzurri were leading with 10 minutes to go at Stadio Tardini; but they were ultimately happy to settle for 1-1 draw after conceding a goal and then surviving a late penalty, which Ange-Yoan Bonny fired against the crossbar. The final scoreline was in keeping with Empoli's previous league matches, which have offered a meagre total of 13 goals, with seven scored and six conceded.
Head coach Roberto D'Aversa started his stay in Tuscany with an impressive run of results - including coming through two rounds of the Coppa Italia to set up a last-16 clash with local rivals Fiorentina - but momentum was recently halted by back-to-back defeats against Napoli and Lazio. Nonetheless, with 11 points on the board, Empoli are just inside the top half of the standings and can look forward to a 'free hit' in midweek: expectations for Wednesday's game are likely to be low, as the Azzurri have lost 13 of their last 14 meetings with Inter. Following an epic contest on Sunday evening, Inter may make a handful of changes to their starting XI, with Piotr Zielinski's participation at risk after he was withdrawn from the Derby d'Italia with thigh flexor fatigue.
Having seen Zielinski score twice from the spot on his first Serie A start for the club, Simone Inzaghi will hope to have the ex-Napoli star available - particularly as regular deep-lying midfielder and set-piece specialist Hakan Calhanoglu remains a doubt. Brazilian wing-back Carlos Augusto and veteran defender Francesco Acerbi are still sidelined, but fringe players such as Yann Bisseck , Mehdi Taremi and Davide Frattesi may be handed starts if Inzaghi shuffles his pack. Meanwhile, Empoli are again without Samuele Perisan , Tyronne Ebuehi and long-term absentee Saba Sazonov due to injury.
Milan-owned Lorenzo Colombo usually pairs up with Inter loanee Sebastiano Esposito in the Azzurri's attack, but the latter may miss out on a meeting with his parent club: the 22-year-old striker faces a race to overcome the thigh strain that ruled him out last weekend. Empoli possible starting lineup: Vasquez; Goglichidze, Ismajli, Viti; Gyasi, Anjorin, Grassi, Pezzella; Fazzini, Solbakken; Colombo Inter Milan possible starting lineup: Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Frattesi, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Taremi Despite several impressive results on the road, Empoli have yet to win a Serie A home game this season, failing to even score in four attempts so far. Ending that run against Inter will surely be beyond the Tuscan outfit, as the Italian champions have a point to prove after letting a big victory slip from their grasp at the weekend.
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