Udinese travel to the San Siro on Sunday for the second week in succession; this time to take on Inter at 20:45 in Serie A hoping to improve upon last week’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of AC Milan.
They will have to do so without defender Maurizio Domizzi, who is suspended after his red card last weekend. Domizzi is likely to be replaced at left-back by Giovanni Pasquale, a player who Roberto Mancini allowed to leave Inter back in 2006.
Since then Mancini himself has left and now returned to the Nerazzurri hotseat, but has had a disappointing start to life back in Milan after last Sunday’s frustrating 4-2 defeat to Roma followed a 1-1 draw in the Derby della Madonnina against AC Milan a week earlier to leave Inter 11th in Serie A.
Those two matches sandwiched a hard fought 2-1 victory over Dinamo Minsk in the Europa League, but this weekend’s clash marks the former Manchester City manager’s first home league game since returning to the San Siro and also sees him seeking his first league win since his reappointment.
Mancini though will be confident of victory against a team who he never lost to in his first spell as Inter coach.
Since then though Udinese have won five of their last eight games against Sunday’s hosts, including a 5-2 victory at the San Siro in May 2013.
In the home dug-out that day was current Udinese coach Andrea Stramaccioni, who was dismissed as Inter coach shortly after that game after only managing a ninth-place finish in Serie A, and who, along with former Biscione midfielder Dejan Stankovic as his assistant, will feel as though he has a point to prove to his former employers.
The Zebrette though have struggled of late, having not won since the 2-0 victory over Atalanta on 26 October, and better defensive displays will be key to a turnaround in fortunes with only Palermo’s Stefano Sorrentino having to make more saves than the 47 made by Bianconeri goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis this season.
Inter have also struggled defensively so far and will again be without Nemanja Vidic, Jonathan and Hernanes on Sunday, while fit again Yuto Nagatomo may have to settle for a place on the bench.
Mateo Kovacic could replace Yann M’Vila in midfield as the Nerazzurri look to be more creative in front of goal in what could be Mancini’s only change from the side that lost at the Stadio Olimpico last time out.
Expected Starting XIs
Inter: Handanovic, Campagnaro, Ranocchia, Juan Jesus, Dodo, Guarin, Medel, Kuzmanovic, Kovacic, Palacio, Osvaldo
Udinese: Karnezis, Piris, Heurtaux, Danilo, Pasquale, Badu, Allan, Guilherme, Kone, Thereau, Di Natale
