Dnipro v Inter: Nerazzurri set for 350th European game

Date: 18th September 2014 at 8:01am
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Inter will look to get their Europa League Group F campaign off to a winning start against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on Thursday evening at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev.

The Nerazzurri return to European action after a fifth place finish in Serie A last season, securing a place in the 2014/15 Europa League Group Stage with a 9-0 aggregate win over Stjarnan of Iceland in the play-off round.

This will be Inter’s 350th game in UEFA club competition, the previous 349 have produced the following record; 174 wins, 86 drawn, and 89 lost. If they prevail, they will have won exactly half of their continental fixtures. As for Dnipro, they will be contesting their 101st, having reached 100 with their 0-0 play-off draw at HNK Hajduk Split.

Walter Mazzarri’s men will travel to eastern Europe in confident mood following Sunday’s 7-0 annihilation of Sassuolo at the San Siro, a game which included a Mauro Icardi hat-trick.

Fredy Guarin and Rodrigo Palacio are believed to be pushing for recalls, both players could have to settle for a substitute role as a result of Inter’s impressive start to the season.

Dnipro should prove a bigger test, Myron Markevych’s troops boast fives wins and a draw in domestic competition this season, conceding just three goals. Twenty-four-year-old Ukraine international winger Yevhen Konoplyanka demands attention, the left sided player has been linked with numerous top European clubs in the past.

The Ukrainian Premier League Runners-Up have faced Italian opposition on six previous occasions, with a record of four defeats, a draw and an impressive 3-1 win over Walter Mazzarri’s Napoli team in October 2012, Napoli won the return fixture 4-2 in Naples.

Dnipro have not lost in five European home games – won four , drawn one – since the last time they had Italian visitors, dating back to the 2-1 Europa League group stage defeat to Fiorentina in 2013/14.

Mazzarri is expected to name a similar line up which played against Sassuolo on Sunday evening, with the exception of the suspended Gary Medel and Yuto Nagatomo, who is out with an ankle issue. Icardi and Pablo Osvaldo are set to continue a promising strike partnership for the Nerazzurri.

Jonathan is also available again after missing Sunday’s 7-0 victory with a muscular problem.

Europa League Group F also contains St. Etienne from France and Azerbaijani minnows FK Qarabag.

Expected starting XIs

Dnipro – Boyko; Strinic, Douglas, Mazuch, Fedetskiy; Konoplyanka, Kravchenko, Kankava, Gama; Shakhov, Kalinic.

Inter – Handanovic; Andreolli, Ranocchia, Juan Jesus; Guarin, Hernanes, Mbaye, Kovacic, Dodo; Osvaldo, Icardi.

 

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