Inter picked up a huge result versus Lazio on Wednesday as they were able to control possession on and create scoring opportunities early and often. A brace from Icardi along with a goal from Brozovic gave Inter the 3-0 victory.
Despite the dominant result, the defense did have some shaky moments in the match and will have to fix these mistakes to pick up 3 points against a scrappy Genoa side that tied Juventus in Turin.
Inter’s form in October was about as good as fans could have hoped, the Nerazzurri picked up their second Champions League victory against PSV Eindhoven, defeated SPAL, beat Milan with a stoppage time goal from Icardi in the season’s first Derby della Madonnina and finished off with the Lazio victory. The team’s only misstep came against FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou as they lost 2-0 to the Catalan giants. Despite this they still control their own destiny in the group in Champions League and sit tied at second in Serie A.
October was a month of ups and downs for Genoa. They lost 3-1 to newly promoted side Parma, then tied with Juventus 1-1 in Turin, tied with Udinese 2-2 and lost to Milan on Wednesday on a stoppage time goal 2-1. Despite only gaining 2 points, Genoa still sits at 11th in the table and will look to bounce back from the disappointing result against Milan.
Inter Team News
Inter Milan has been missing Radja Nainggolan who picked up a left ankle sprain versus AC Milan. It looks like Nainggolan could be back, Luciano Spalletti mentioned this week that the midfielder would be in the squad this weekend. It is likely that Nainggolan will not start though and will see a limited role as the team eases him back into the lineup.
Inter lined up in a 4-2-3-1 versus Barcelona on Wednesday and switched to a 4-3-3 for the Lazio match. With Barcelona coming to San Siro on Tuesday, Inter could rotate their squad against Genoa and line up in that 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 depending on who Spalletti decides to call on for this match. Players such as Candreva, Martinez, Valero, Joao Mario and Keita could all see minutes against Genoa as they have been sparingly so far this season.
The depth of the squad this season is much improved from season’s past. It would be surprising for the Nerazzurri to not take advantage of this to their advantage against Genoa as they prepare for a big match against Barcelona on Tuesday.
Projected XI: Handanovic, Vrsaljko, de Vrij, Miranda, Asamoah; Valero, Vecino, Balde, Martinez, Candreva, Icardi
Genoa Team News
Genoa’s form has been up and down as of late. A disappointing result against AC Milan after a tough fought match will have Genoa motivated to get a result versus Inter. The team currently sits in the middle of the table with 4 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses on the season. They have not won a match since their September 30th clash against Frosinone.
Genoa will be missing some key players tomorrow. Two players are confirmed to be out of the game, Domenico Criscito with a suspension and Federimo Marchetti with a thigh strain. Andrea Favilli and Nicolas Spolli are both nursing injuries and their status for the match is uncertain.
The Genoa defense has been among the worst in Serie A with 19 goals conceded. With the loss of Criscito who has played every minute this season on that back line and the potential limited role or loss of Spolli their back line will be depleted for this match.
Projected XI: Radu; Gunter, Biraschi, Zukanovic, Pereira, Romulo, Hiljemark, Lazovic, Pandev, Kouame, Piatek
Prediction
With 2 key cogs missing in an already struggling defense, I think Inter will be too much for Genoa to handle. If all goes according to plan, Nainggolan will get to play some minutes and some squad players will be able to get valuable match time and pull of a solid result. Inter’s attack will be too overbearing for a Genoa defense that’s conceded 19 goals to handle. Piatek has been dangerous for them though, scoring 9 goals so far in Serie A. I see this match finishing in a 4-1 win for Inter.
How to watch
Date and time: 10 a.m. (ET) Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018
Location: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan
TV/Streaming: In the United States, you can watch the match on ESPN+. In the United Kingdom, the match will be on Eleven Sport. SKY Go Italia, Sky Supercalcio HD, Sky Calcio 1 and Sky Sport Serie A will have the match in Italy.
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