Spezia vs Inter Milan: Match Preview

Inter’s 2-0 win over Lecce was a surprisingly drama-free outing for Simone Inzaghi’s men, and they’ll be looking to make it two on the bounce in a clash with relegation battlers Spezia under the Friday night lights.

Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images

Spezia currently sits 17th on 21 points, only 3 clear of Hellas Verona and the red line of relegation. Luca Gotti faced the sack 3 games ago after a draw at Empoli, which prolonged a 4 game winless run in Serie A. That streak is now up to 7 despite the installment of Leonardo Semplici at the helm. The Aquilotti have managed draws against Udinese and Verona under the new Mister, which has stopped the bleeding but done nothing to boost Spezia’s chances of salvation. The Ligurian side has the 4th worst attack (21 scored) and 3rd worst defense (41 conceded) in the league, all of the makings of a team that will be plying its trade in Serie B in a few month's time.

Striker M’Bala Nzola is Spezia’s leading (and just about only) scorer with 11 tallies - no other player has more than two goals, demonstrating the sheer futileness of Spezia’s attack this season. The Aquilotti’s hopes of safety in the long term and getting a result on Friday in the short term rest on the Angolan’s shoulders. Inter can expect a 4-3-3 shape with some emphasis on holding onto the ball (Spezia has held the majority of possession in its last three games) from the hosts with Nzola leading the line.

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Despite holding onto the theoretically lofty perch of second place, Inzaghi’s side are only three points away from Milan in 5th place. A Champions League spot is far from secured with slightly less than 3 months of the season to go, and the points up for grabs tomorrow are the type that Inter can’t afford to drop. The Nerazzurri have a crucial Champions League second-leg against Porto to look forward to Tuesday before the Derby d’Italia closes out the weekend and leads into the international break. Three points against Spezia would just about ensure that Inter is top four going into April, taking a bit of pressure off Simone Inzaghi’s shoulders.

Previous Results

Inter has a dominant 8W-1D-0L record in the all time series, including three straight victories, the most recent of which was a 3-0 triumph in the reverse fixture.

• 3-0 (H), 30/8/22

Predicted Starting XIs

Prediction: Spezia 1-3 Inter Milan

Inter will claim all three points at the Stadio Alberto Picco, buoyed by goals from Lautaro Martinez, Robin Gosens, and Romelu Lukaku, although Nzola will get his name on the scoresheet once again.

Forza Inter!