Inter Milan vs AS Roma: Match Preview

Inter’s dreadful September has finally come to an end, but October doesn’t offer much hope of solace. The Nerazzurri have 8 games in 29 days, including a pair of make-or-break Champions League fixtures with Barcelona and league ties with the likes of Roma and Fiorentina. To add a cherry on top, Marcelo Brozovic will be out the entire month and Romelu Lukaku is still yet to regain full fitness. Simone Inzaghi will have to find a way to make it work, however, starting with Roma’s Saturday evening visit to the San Siro.

Photo by Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

The Giallorossi currently sit 6th, one point and one spot above Inter, and have two losses in its last three in domestic action. Despite several big-name arrivals in the summer, Roma hasn’t quite shown the progress it would have expected after last season’s 6th place finish in Jose Mourinho’s debut campaign. Roma has the 9th-best attack and 8th-best defense through seven rounds, showing consistency but not much capability to amaze so far, with the exception of a certain Argentine. Paulo Dybala (4g, 2a in all comps) has been as electric as Roma hoped when it persuaded him to the Eternal City, but the other reinforcements haven’t hit the ground running. Georginio Wijnaldum had barely made his debut before he fractured his tibia and is out for five months, while Andrea Belotti has one goal in 246 minutes. Last season’s stars, Tammy Abraham and Lorenzo Pellegrini haven’t been at their best either, with just 3 goals and 5 assists in 17 games combined.

Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images

Roma, Barcelona, Sassuolo, Barcelona. And no, that isn’t the next horror movie series, but rather Inter’s upcoming schedule. Which, on second thought, might end up being a horror movie from a Nerazzurri perspective after all. Inter’s September doesn’t need any more dwelling on, but unless Inzaghi has taken the international break to take a long look in the mirror and find a solution to the Nerazzurri’s plights, we’ll be in for a sequel over the next four weeks. Despite its tread water approach to the 22/23 season, Roma won’t be an easy outing whatsoever, especially with Brozovic and Lukaku out and Barca looming midweek.

Previous Results

Inter has a 94W-57D-61L all-time record against Roma, last losing in February of 2017.

• 0-3 (A), 4/12/2021
• 2-0 (H), 8/2/2022 - Coppa Italia
• 3-1 (H), 23/4/2022

Predicted Starting XIs

Prediction: Inter Milan 2-1 AS Roma

Six of Roma’s nine games have been decided by one goal or less, and that trend will continue this weekend. Goals from Lautaro Martinez and Denzel Dumfries will give the good guys the comeback victory after Dybala opens the scoring early in.