:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62736715/1074594432.jpg.0.jpg)
Looking for a way to escape the relatives? Look no farther than Boxing Day Serie A football as Inter Milan will welcome Napoli to the Giuseppe Meazza Wednesday.
Inter are eight points back of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad in third in the league table with a chance to make up some ground.
But, Inter has struggled of late, needing a last-minute penalty to defeat Udinese and allowing an extra-time goal to draw with Chievo last weekend.
Defenses will be tested the most Wednesday as two of the most active offenses will square off at the San Siro.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13649725/1074594390.jpg.jpg)
Inter Milan news
Besides the recent league struggles, the biggest news for Inter Milan is the absence of Radja Nainggolan who was suspended temporarily for disciplinary reasons.
A bit of good news is that defender Kwadwo Asamoah is back following a game-long suspension. That leaves Henrique Dalbert as the only other player out as he continues to battle injury.
Inter’s struggles have been mental. Not connecting on shots to goal and not being focused after earning a lead have been the biggest issues. Giving up a two-goal lead to Roma, struggling to defeat Udinese and letting Chievo back in late have proven to be the big storylines of the month.
Mauro Icardi has been the lone top scorer for Inter as he has found the net nine times in 14 matches. Ivan Perisic and Keita Balde have each added three goals on the season for the Nerazzurri.
According to recent Serie A statistics, Inter lead the league with 136 corners and also lead Serie A with 175 crosses made.
Possible lineup: Handanovic; Vrsaljko, Skriniar, De Vrij, Asamoah; Vecino, Brozovic, Mario; Politano, Icardi, Perisic
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13649724/1085721894.jpg.jpg)
Napoli news
Ancelotti will be without Vlad Chiriches who suffered a cruciate ligament rupture back in September. Allan may also be out but is currently listed as day-to-day.
Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens have paced Napoli with seven goals apiece and both are expected to start Wednesday.
Mertens and Insigne rank second in Serie A with five assists each while José Callejon has added five as well.
Napoli’s offense leads the league with a total of 248 shots with 127 being on target. They are tied for first in Serie A with 34 total goals. Inter is fourth with 29.
Napoli’s defense holds an edge over Inter as the Nerazzurri have failed to find the back of the net against Napoli since April 2016 when Marcelo Brozovic lead Inter to a 2-0 win.
But, Inter have scored 136 times against Napoli at the Meazza compared to just 68 for Napoli on the road in their last 72 Serie A matches.
Both teams have fallen out of the Champions League on the last group stage day with Napoli dropping a 1-0 decision at Liverpool while Inter managed just a 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven.
In Serie A, on the other hand, Napoli are riding a four-match winning streak dating back to September when they last lost a league match at Juventus.
Possible lineup: Meret; Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Callejon, Zielinski, Hamsik, Fabian; Mertens, Insigne
Match information
Time and Date: 7:30 p.m. (BST) — 2:30 p.m. (EST), Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018
Where: Giuseppe Meazza (Milan)
How to watch: In the United States, you can watch the match on ESPN Deportes +, Rai Italia America and ESPNEWS. In the United Kingdom, the match will be live on Eleven Sports 1 UK and in Italy, you can see the match live on Sky Sport Uno, Sky Calcio 1 and Sky Sport Serie A.
Click here to see how you can watch the match anywhere in the world.
What do you think? Post your comments below!