Inter vs. Sampdoria: Match preview, how to watch and live thread

Another day, another test for Luciano Spalletti’s side. Just 72 hours after Inter pulled off an impressive away draw to league-leading Napoli, the Nerazzurri are back in action, this time at the San Siro against Sampdoria — and this game has trap written all over it.

Make no mistake about it, Marco Giampaolo’s Samp are one of the most in-form clubs in Italy at the moment. The Genoese side have won three of their last four league matches, and currently sit in sixth-place in the table, just one point behind AS Roma. On the weekend, Sampdoria destroyed Crotone 5-0, in one of the most lopsided ties of the season. The comprehensive victory means that Sampdoria’s have outscored their opponents 8-1 in their last two matches. That’s very impressive, and as a result, Inter can ill afford to take this team lightly on Tuesday... but they should already know that. Sampdoria won this fixture last year, virtually ending Inter’s all-too-brief Champions League push. Sampdoria have already defeated AC Milan this season, and they will no doubt be eager to add the scalp of another Milanese giant to their collection.

Photo by Paolo Rattini/Getty Images

While Sampdoria enter Tuesday’s match in good form, so too do Inter. Taking four of six points from Napoli and the Milan derby is a terrific result, and Inter have absolutely earned their second-place status in the league. With the former not facing Genoa until Wednesday, an Inter victory would see the Nerazzurri briefly climb atop the Serie A table, something that seemed to be nearly impossible after last season’s disappointment.

Sampdoria are a good and in-form team, but Inter are objectively better, and should be favorites to take the three points of Tuesday. With the amount of focus and resiliency the Nerazzurri have shown in recent weeks, I don’t expect Spalletti and his players to let us down. If Inter preform to the level of their collective and individual abilities, they should be able to win this match.

The club have the chance to claim sole possession of first place in the league for the first time since January 2016, and that should serve as more than enough motivation for Inter. Even if it only lasts 24 hours, doing so would be a major statement of intent, and would truly demonstrate how far they’ve come in the past three months.

Opportunities like this don’t emerge everyday. This summer, the club’s official hashtag was #InterIsComing. With a win on Tuesday, the Nerazzurri would prove that Inter is very much back and thriving. Now it’s time to go out there and show it.

Forza!

Match Info

Date and Time: Tuesday, October 24, 2017; 8:45 p.m. CEST (2:45 p.m. on the U.S. East Coast)

Location: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza; Milan, Italy

TV/Streaming: In the United States, the game is available on beIN Sports 3, with streaming through beIN Sports Connect and fuboTV. In the UK, the match will be shown on BT Sport 2 with streaming through BT Sport Live. Click here to find out where you can watch the match everywhere else in the world.

Inter Milan Squad

Potential Starting XI:

(4-2-3-1): Handanovic; Cancelo, Skriniar, Miranda, Dalbert; Vecino, Gagliardini; Candreva, Joao Mario, Perisic; Icardi.

Match Thread Rules

There are only three rules: don’t be hateful, don’t disrespect anyone else’s opinion and enjoy the game!

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