Inter Milan vs. Pordenone: Match preview, how to watch and match thread

Inter Milan manager Luciano Spalletti told reporters Monday he believes the Nerazzurri need to avoid a potential trap when Serie C side Pordenone visit the Giuseppe Meazza Tuesday night.

Pordenone Calcio will take on Inter in the Coppa Italia Round of 16 after they defeated Cagliari, 2-1 back on Nov. 28.

"Pordenone represent a real danger,” Spalletti told reporters Monday. “They are a solid club and their coach (Leonardo) Colucci has worked as assistant manager for Giampaolo. His side played entertaining football – we saw it in their game against Cagliari and we all know how good a side Cagliari are, how difficult it was for us against them.”

The Nerazzurri are fresh off a 0-0 draw in the Derby d’Italia in Turin and – thanks to Fiorentina drawing with Napoli – still sit atop Serie A with 40 points.

“The players deserve a lot of credit. They show great respect and professionalism towards our club and the team colours [sic],” Spalletti said. “We still have work to do to improve some aspects of our game because we haven’t reached our full potential yet. We should be motivated by that because we know we can get better!”

Pordenone, on the other hand, sit in fifth-place in Serie C, Group B behind leaders Padua, Sambenedettese, Renate and FeralpiSalo. They reached the Round of 16 by defeating Matelica, 2-0 in the first round, followed by a 2-1 win over Venice and a 3-2 win over Lecce before their road win at Cagliari.

Center-forward Simone Magnaghi has four goals in 12 matches across all competitions for Pordenone this season. Winger Miguel Maza also has four goals and one assist in all competitions. However, the two players leading Pordenone did not make the starting lineup in their 1-1 draw with Sembenedettese on Dec. 2. Federico Gerardi and Patrick Ciurria both have five goals on the season and Ciurria came off the bench in the draw.

For Inter, the seven-time Cup winner, everyone remains healthy following the draw with Juventus. The biggest question is if Davide Santon will be in the lineup following his injury. Dalbert came in for Santon in the second half and Yuto Nagatomo remains an option as well.

Potential line up for Pordenone (4-3-2-1)

Simone Perilli (GK), Leonardo Nunzella (LB), Alessando Bassoli (CB), Mirko Stefani (CB)*, Giovanni Formiconi (RB), Luca Lulli (DM), Salvatore Burrai (DM), Gianvito Misuraca (AM), Emanuele Berrettoni (LW), Miguel Maza (RW), Simone Magnaghi (CF).

Potential line up for Inter Milan (4-3-2-1)

Samir Handanovic (GK), Danilo D’Ambrosio (RB), Milan Skriniar (CB), Joao Mirando (CB), Davide Santon (LB), Matias Vecino (MD), Borja Valero (MD), Antonio Candreva (RW), Marcelo Brozovic (CM), Ivan Perisic (LW), Mauro Icardi (CF)*

* — team captain

UPDATE: Here is the 21-man squad Inter will have for its Coppa Italia match with Pordenone:

Goalkeepers: 1 Handanovic, 27 Padelli, 46 Berni;

Defenders: 7 Cancelo, 13 Ranocchia, 21 Santon, 29 Dalbert, 37 Skriniar, 55 Nagatomo, 98 Lombardoni;

Midfielders: 5 Gagliardini, 11 Vecino, 20 Borja Valero, 63 Emmers, 77 Brozovic;

Forwards: 9 Icardi, 17 Karamoh, 23 Eder, 44 Perisic, 87 Candreva, 99 Pinamonti.

Match Info

Date & Time: Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, 9 p.m. CEST (3 p.m. on the East Coast)

Location: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza; Milan, Italy

TV/Streaming: In the United States, the game will be streamed live on beIN Sports USA with streaming available through beIN Sports Connect and fuboTV. In the United Kingdom, the game will be available on Sky Sports. Click here for full viewing details.

Match thread rules

There are just three: don’t be hateful, don’t disrespect anyone else’s opinions and enjoy the game!

Want to contribute? Sign up for an SB Nation account and join the conversation on Serpents of Madonnina. Whether it is match coverage and analysis, breaking news, mercato or you just want to be immersed in all things Inter, we have it right here.

Also, don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook for more updates!