Sampdoria are set to host Inter at the Stadio Ferraris in Serie A on Sunday night.
Both sides enter the game with fairly similar ambitions. The home side could potentially jump to fourth place if they defeat the Nerazzurri, assuming Napoli and Fiorentina stumble against Atalanta and Udinese respectively.
On the other hand, with hopes of winning the Europa League dashed following Thursday’s 2-1 defeat to Wolfsburg, Inter need to find their form if they want to finish in a Europa League position, as they find themselves in eighth, eight points behind fifth placed Fiorentina.
Sampdoria’s form has drastically improved in the past weeks, achieving three wins from their last three games including a 2-0 victory against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. The Blucerchiati seem to have finally recovered from the winless spell they endured towards the end of January, when they went six games without a win.
Inter however, have not won any of their last five games in all competitions, with three of them coming in Serie A, including a 1-1 draw with relegation-battlers Cesena in their most recent league game.
Even though Samp enter the game as relative favourites due to their recent form., the previous 10 games between both sides has seen an obvious Inter advantage. The Nerazzurri have won six games, compared to Samp’s one win which dates back to the beginning of the 2009/2010 season when a goal from Giampaolo Pazzini decided the tie.
Sinisa Mihajlovic will miss the services of four players heading into Sunday’s encounter against the Nerazzurri, with Alessandro De Vitis, Fabrizio Cacciatore, Luca Rizzo, and Ezquiel Munoz all out due to injury problems.
On the other hand, Roberto Mancini will have to deal with several key absences also due to injury, with Yuto Nagatomo, Jonathan, Nemanja Vidic, and Xherdan Shaqiri all set to mis Sunday’s game.
Form Guide: Sampdoria (W-W-W-D-L-D) Inter (D-D-L-W-W-W)
Expected Starting XIs
Sampdoria: Viviano; De Silvestri, Silvestre, Romagnoli, Regini; Soriano, Palombo, Obiang; Eder, Okaka, Eto’o.
Inter: Handanovic; Santon, Ranocchia, Juan Jesus, D’Ambrosio; Guarin, Medel, Brozovic; Kovacic; Icardi, Palacio.
Two things:
Samp’s home stadium is the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
And I think Miha will want to start Acquah in midfield. Not sure who would go to the bench, but probably Soriano, maybe Obiang.