Inter Milan vs Getafe Preview

Inter Milan’s Serie A season has eased to a conclusion, but the Europa League remains a different story. At least for now. The Nerazzurri meet Getafe at Schalke’s VELTINS-Arena in an effort to advance to the quarter finals of the European competition. The original series was meant to be home and home, but after a five month delay, a single match will decide the outcome.

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José Bordalás’s Getafe is in poor form at the moment with a sole win in it’s last twelve outings, and that’s seen it drop to 8th in the La Liga table. Still, a very unique playing style has seen the azulones advance this far after taking out Ajax in the Round of 32. Getafe don’t play pretty football and are perhaps one of the most physical sides you can find. The Spanish outfit has the most yellow cards per ninety of Europe’s top five leagues and a whopping 18 fouls per match. It plays quite direct as well. A quarter of Getafe’s passes are long balls and has a mere 61% pass percentage.

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Inter, on the other hand, has had quite the week. Antonio Conte let loose during a post-game press conference after beating Atalanta 2-0 and clinching second. That has seen many rumors of the Italians exit from the San Siro, and his future remains clouded. Now, though, the focus shifts to the Europa League. The Nerazzurri fell into a somewhat forgiving bracket and could make a deep run. Momentum is at Inter’s back thanks to three straight wins and four shutouts. On the flip side one potential issue is Inter’s minimal rest time. Conte’s side had three days in between Atalanta and Getafe, while its opponents haven’t played since July 19th. Putting this game to bed early could be vital against a team like Getafe which is sure to find openings as the game progresses into its later stages.

Predicted Starting XIs

Prediction: Inter Milan 1-0 Getafe

This will by no means be a easy match and there’s sure to be cards left and right, but Inter should do enough to come out on top. Getafe will have some chances on the counter, but Alexis Sánchez will enter from the bench to provide a second half game winner. Forza Inter!