Eighth-placed Inter will hope to leapfrog their seventh-placed opponents Lazio when the sides meet at San Siro on Wednesday.
Just two points separate the teams in the Serie A standings and both remain in the hunt for UEFA Europa League qualification by virtue of their league finish.
However, they also have poor recent form in common ahead of their showdown, with Inter having lost five of their last six and Lazio’s 6-0 win over Bologna last time out coming off the back of a six-game winless run.
Andrea Stramaccioni’s side also have a lengthy injury list to contend with after Javier Zanetti became the 13th player currently sidelined by rupturing his Achilles tendon.
A 3-1 defeat to Napoli in their last outing did little to lift the mood around the club, but led Fredy Guarin to insist his team-mates must pull together.
“We all need to give a bit more at the moment. Today we all displayed heart and determination, we needed to finish this game in the best way possible,” he said.
“Now we must try to do even better in our coming matches. We need to stay strong mentally and show our supporters and president how much we love this shirt.”
Inter suffered a 1-0 defeat to Lazio when the sides faced off in Rome earlier this season, with Miroslav Klose grabbing the winner for the hosts.
The German is likely to be his side’s biggest threat in this game again, as he looks to add to his tally of 15 league goals so far this season – five of which came against Bologna on Sunday.
Rodrigo Palacio leads the way for Inter in Serie A having notched 12 times, and the Argentine could return from injury in order to feature in this fixture.
Lazio have not beaten Inter at San Siro since a 5-3 victory during the 1998-99 campaign.
- Soccer News Like
- Be the first of your friends!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SoccerNews
Soccernews.com is news blog for soccer with comprehensive coverage of all the major leagues in Europe, as well as MLS in the United States. In addition we offer breaking news for transfers and transfer rumors, ticket sales, betting tips and offers, match previews, and in-depth editorials.
You can follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/soccernews.com or Twitter: @soccernewsfeed.