Inter host Sassuolo at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in the early Sunday kick-off in Serie A, with the Nerazzurri looking for all three points to remain top of the standings at the half-way point of the season.
The Milan side resumed footballing action on Wednesday following the winter break, securing a 1-0 victory over Empoli at the Stadio Carlo Castellani thanks to a Mauro Icardi strike just before half-time, recording their 12th clean sheet in the process this campaign.
The win sees Roberto Mancini’s men sit top of the table on 39 points after round 18, one point ahead of Scudetto rivals Fiorentina and Napoli, with Juventus sitting fourth on 36 points. The clash against Sassuolo on Sunday will be the Biscione’s tenth home fixture this campaign, following six wins, one draw and two defeats in their previous nine games to date. A 2-1 reverse to Lazio just before the winter break and a 4-1 loss to Fiorentina in September are their only defeats in Milan this season.
Meanwhile the Neroverdi, returned to Serie A action in mid-week with a disappointing 2-2 with relegation candidates Frosinone at the Mapei Stadium.
Eusebio Di Francesco’s side currently lie in sixth position in the standings on 28 points after 17 games, with their game against Torino to be re-scheduled following its postponement before Christmas.
The Modena side have shown a mix bag of form on their travels this season, with three wins, three draws and three defeats so far. A 3-1 win over Sampdoria at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in early December being the highlight so far, while they have suffered defeats at Empoli, AC Milan and Genoa but only by a single goal on each occasion.
Last season’s corresponding fixture saw the Nerazzurri trash Sunday’s opponents 7-0 at the San Siro in September, which included a hat-trick from Mauro Icardi. The Neroverdi restored some pride in the return leg in February with a 3-1 victory, with Icardi again on the score-sheet for the Milan side.
The sides have only met on four previous occasions in Serie A, with the Inter winning three, which also included another 7-0 victory, this time at the Mapei Stadium in September 2013.
In terms of team news, Inter midfielder Felipe Melo serves out the second of his three game ban, while full-back Alex Telles is expected to return to the starting line-up for Mancini’s men. Eight goal top-scorer Icardi will probably lead the line for the Nerazzurri in a 4-4-3 formation.
As for the hosts, they will be without midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini through suspension, while defender Emanuele Terranova is a long-term absentee. Summer signing Gregoire Defrel will be hoping to add to his two goal tally this season, while Domenico Berardi and Nicole Sansone are expected to play up front in a 4-3-3 formation for the away side.
Form Guide: Inter (W-W-W-L-W) Sassuolo (D-L-W-D-D)
Expected Starting XIs:
Inter: Handanovic; D’Ambrosio, Miranda, Murillo, Telles; Medel, Brozovic, Kondogbia; Perisic, Ljajic, Icardi.
Sassuolo: Consigli; Vrsaljko, Cannavaro, Acerbi, Peluso; Missiroli, Magnanelli, Laribi; Berardi, Defrel, Sansone.
Infographics sourced from https://sporticos.com/en-gb/2016-01-10/122181-match-inter-milan-vs-us-sassuolo
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com