Fresh from their epic Coppa Italia win over rivals AC Milan in the derby, Inter take on Benevento in Serie A action on Saturday night (kick-off 20:45).
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Inter (3-5-2): Handanovic; Skriniar, Ranocchia, Bastoni; Hakimi, Barella, Eriksen, Gagliardini, Young; Lautaro Martinez, Lukaku.
Unavailable: D’Ambrosio.
Benevento (4-3-2-1): Montipò; Depaoli, Caldirola, Glik, Barba; Ionita, Viola, Hetemaj; Improta, Caprari; Lapadula.
Suspended: Sau.
Unavailable: Letizia, Moncini.
KEY STATISTICS
– Benevento have lost all three of their Serie A games against Inter – their joint-highest tally alongside Atalanta, Napoli, and Roma.
– Inter have won both home matches against Benevento in all competitions, both under Luciano Spalletti: 2-0 in Serie A in February 2018 and 6-2 in the Coppa Italia last 16 in January 2019.
– Inter have won their last six home Serie A games and could register seven for the first time since December 2018; while Antonio Conte could win seven home matches in a row in the top five European leagues for the first time since December 2017 under Chelsea.
– Benevento have picked up 18 points more (22 v 4) than in 2017/18 after 19 games: this is the joint-highest improvement compared to a previous season played in Serie A after 19 games in the three points for win era – alongside AC Milan in the current season (43 points v 25 in 2019/20).
– Since the restart of the top five European leagues post lockdown, only Bayern Munich (80) have scored more goals than Inter (77).
– Only AC Milan (16) have scored more goals from set pieces than Benevento and Inter (both 12) in the current Serie A campaign.
– No team has had fewer open play sequences with 10+ passes than Benevento in Serie A this season (85) – on the other hand Inter are fourth in this ranking with 265.
– As a player Filippo Inzaghi won 10 Serie A games against Inter (only against Cagliari did he enjoy more, 11), scoring seven goals.
– Gianluca Lapadula could score in two consecutive Serie A games for the first time since October 2020, However, the Benevento striker has never found the net against Inter in six league matches.
– Lautaro Martínez hasn’t scored in his last four Serie A games; however, the Inter forward has scored seven goals in 13 appearances against newly promoted teams in the competition, including his only hat-trick, against Crotone on January 3.
