Serie A Preview: Inter vs Como – Team News, Lineups & Prediction | OneFootball

Last season’s Serie A runners-up Inter resume their Scudetto pursuit on Saturday evening, as they take on Como at San Siro. Despite the home side’s pre-match favoritism, the visitors arrive in Milan in high spirits, looking to cement their European credentials.

Inter made light work of second-tier Venezia in midweek Coppa Italia action to reach the quarter-finals. Marcus Thuram’s double inspired the Nerazzurri to a dominant 5-1 victory. After scoring five goals in one match for the first time since an opening-day win over Torino, Inter will take the field in a buoyant mood.

However, Cristian Chivu’s side cannot take anything for granted here despite beating Como in both league meetings last season. Another triumph would see Inter spend the net at the top of the table, as they head into proceedings trailing pacesetters Milan by a single point after a 2-0 win at Pisa last weekend.

Like their rivals, Como emerged victorious from their last league outing, overcoming Sassuolo at home. Goals from Anastasios Douvikas and Alberto Moreno fired the Lariani to a comfortable 2-0 win, extending their unbeaten streak in Serie A to an eye-catching 11 matches (W5, D6). Making it 12 on the trot could prove easier said than done.

Yet, Cesc Fabregas’ men have proven they have what it takes to trouble the league’s elite, setting the stage for a compelling showdown at San Siro.

Match Preview

Inter

Inter’s triumph at Pisa served to bolster the team’s spirits after back-to-back defeats to Milan and Atletico Madrid. Furthermore, Lautaro Martinez’s match-winning brace at the Arena Garibaldi catapulted him to the top of the scoring leaderboard in Serie A, drawing him level with Bologna star Riccardo Orsolini.

El Toro’s double solidified the Nerazzurri’s position as Serie A’s best-scoring side, with Inter netting a remarkable 28 goals in the first 13 rounds at an average of 2.15 per game. However, after a wasted penalty against Milan, they are at risk of failing to score in consecutive league outings for the first time since April 2023.

A repeat of that unwanted feat seems highly unlikely, considering Inter have won five of their seven Serie A fixtures at San Siro this season (L2), bagging at least two goals on each occasion. Deliver action from the get-go, Chivu’s charges have scored a league-high four goals inside the opening ten minutes.

Como

Finding an early breakthrough could help Como upset the odds here, knowing that Inter are the only team in Serie A yet to pick up a single point from losing positions this term (L4). Still, it would require the visitors to score their first league goal against the Nerazzurri this century.

Indeed, Como have lost all four top-flight encounters against Inter since the turn of the millennium, conceding ten unanswered goals in the process. However, Fabregas has turned the Lariani into a formidable defensive force, with no Serie A side conceding fewer goals this season than Como’s seven.

Despite their impressive defensive record, Como have won only two of their six away league games this season (D3, L1). Both those victories came against bottom-half opponents Torino and Fiorentina, with the Lariani failing to keep a clean sheet.

Nonetheless, a shutout would be a handsome boost for Como as they bid to halt a dreadful nine-game losing Serie A streak against Inter.

Team News

After resting against Venezia, Yann Sommer, Hakan Calhanoglu, Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolo Barella, and Lautaro are expected to return to the starting lineup. With the Argentine striker set to reclaim his spot in the final third, Francesco Pio Esposito is likely to drop to the bench in favor of Thuram.

Meanwhile, Tomas Palacios, Denzel Dumfries, and Matteo Darmian remain unavailable for selection.

As for Como, they will be without Alberto Dossena, Sergi Roberto, and Edoardo Goldaniga. All eyes will be on Nico Paz, who will be out to add to his outstanding tally of five goals and five assists this season. It would be a fitting way to mark his 50th Serie A appearance.

Inter vs Como Potential Starting Lineups

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Augusto, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez.

Como (4-2-3-1): Butez; Smolcic, Ramon, Carlos, Moreno; Perrone, Da Cunha; Addai, Paz, Rodriguez; Morata.

Inter vs Como Prediction

Though Como are perfectly capable of giving Inter a run for their money here, we expect the home side to take all three points. With Chivu’s center-forwards firing on all cylinders, the visitors could find themselves out of their depth.