Verdict: Marcus Thuram to score anytime
Best Odds: 7/5
Bookmaker: Luckster
Looking to take a giant leap towards recapturing their Serie A crown, Inter Milan will welcome Cagliari to the San Siro on Friday night.
Inter Milan
Starting with the hosts, while Inter Milan might have come under a huge amount of scrutiny back in February as they watched their Champions League adventure come to a shock end at the hands of Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt, Cristian Chivu’s side are set to recapture their domestic crown at a canter. Opening this weekend’s fixtures holding a commanding nine-point buffer over the chasing pack, the Nerazzurri will simply be looking to make another statement here. Last seen securing what could prove to be a season-defining 4-3 victory away at Champions League chasers Como, Inter Milan certainly find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high. Marking their return from March’s international break with a stellar 5-2 romp at home against historic rivals Roma, the former Parma boss has also seen his superstar squad really find a clinical edge in the final third.
Inter Milan Team News
Shown what was a costly second-half booking against Como last time out, Croatian international Petar Sucic will miss out through suspension here. Dealing with a recent thigh injury, Inter Milan are once again sweating over the fitness of German defender Yann Bisseck.
Bagging consecutive Serie A braces since returning from March’s international break and now notching five goals in his last three appearances for club and country, French international Marcus Thuram will be looking to extend on his stellar recent purple patch.
Cagliari
As for the visitors, claiming what could prove to be a season-defining 1-0 victory at home against Cremonese, Cagliari will be desperate to use that gritty performance as a platform to build on. Drawing a line under their four-match losing rut on either side of March’s international break, the Islanders travel to Milan this weekend holding a six-point advantage over the relegation zone. With their sole focus set to retaining their Serie A status over the coming weeks, Cagliari will certainly be concerned by a nightmare record against Saturday’s opponents. Falling to a routine 2-0 loss when they welcomed Inter Milan to the Unipol Domus for their reverse top-flight showdown back on September 27th, Fabio Piscane’s side have failed to win any of their last 12 straight meetings against the Nerazzurri (10 defeats, two draws).
Cagliari Team News
Suffering a reported calf injury in the opening half hour against Cremonese last week, Cagliari are expected to be without Italian midfielder Luca Mazzitelli here. Likewise, dealing with respective knee injuries, both Riyad Idrissi and Matt Felici when they travel to the San Siro on Friday night.
Now in his third campaign at the Unipol Domus, former Everton star Yerry Mina will start at the heart of Piscane’s defence. Bagging the winner in Sardinia last week and now notching three goals in his last four domestic appearances, Inter Milan loanee Sebastiano Esposito will feature against his parent club here.
Inter Milan vs Cagliari Key Factors to Consider
- When Inter Milan and Cagliari met for their reverse Serie A showdown back on September 27th, Saturday’s hosts secured a 2-0 victory at the Unipol Domus.
- Inter are unbeaten in all of their last 12 straight meetings against Cagliari (10 wins, two draws).
- The runaway leaders have won their two Serie A showdown since returning from March’s international break by an aggregate score of 9-5.
- French international Marcus Thuram has registered five goals in his last three appearances for club and country.
- Despite landing a 1-0 victory against Cremonese last time out, Cagliari have lost each of their other four Serie A appearances.
Conclusion
Looking to take another giant leapt towards recapturing their Serie A crown, Inter Milan will simply be looking to make another public statement here. Marking their return from March’s international break with consecutive eye-catching victories against Como and Roma, Saturday’s hosts suddenly find themselves holding a commanding nine-point buffer over the chasing pack. Unbeaten in all of their previous 12 consecutive showdowns against Cagliari across all competitions, it is no surprise why the Italian icons are installed as a landslide contender this weekend.
Verdict: Marcus Thuram to score anytime
Best Odds: 7/5
Bookmaker: Luckster
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