Inter have a chance to pile even more pressure on leaders AC Milan ahead of their massive midweek game when they travel to Sampdoria on Wednesday (kick-off 15:00).
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Sampdoria (4-4-1-1): Audero; Bereszynski, Yoshida, Tonelli, Augello; Candreva, Thorsby, A. Silva, Jankto; Verre; Quagliarella.
Suspended: Ekdal.
Unavailable: Ferrari, Prelec, Gabbiadini.
Inter (3-5-2): Handanovic; Skriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni; Hakimi, Barella, Brozovic, Gagliardini, Darmian; Martinez, Sanchez.
Unavailable: Lukaku, Pinamonti, Vecino.
KEY STATISTICS
– Inter have won each of their last six Serie A games against Sampdoria; only in 1951 have the Nerazzurri recorded seven consecutive wins against the Blucerchiati in the competition.
– The last draw between Inter and Sampdoria in Serie A was back in October 2015 (1- 1 with goals netted by Luis Muriel and Ivan Perisic); since then, seven Nerazzurri wins against two for the Blucerchiati.
– After a streak of seven games, between 2015 and 2018, in which they had picked up only one point, Inter have won each of their last six Serie A matches played at the Marassi against Sampdoria and Genoa.
– Sampdoria have scored in each of their last 15 Serie A games at home: the last time they had a longer such streak in the top flight was back in 1994 (16).
– Inter have won each of their last eight league games – in their Serie A history, only between October 2006 and February 2007 have they recorded a longer such streak: 17.
– Inter have scored in each of their last 13 away Serie A matches (2.5 goals per match on average), going unbeaten during this period (W9 D4).
– In the last 55 years, only two teams have scored 40+ goals in the first 15 matches of a Serie A season: Juventus in 2017/18 (41) and Inter in 2020/21 (40).
– Antonio Candreva played 124 Serie A games for inter, scoring 12 goals: the Nerazzurri are also his favourite opponent the competition (five goals, each of these for Lazio).
– If Lautaro Martínez scores in this game (nine goals for him in 2020/21 so far), Inter will have two players with 10+ goals after the first 16 matches in a Serie A season for the first time since 1958/59 (Angelillo and Firmani).
– Should he feature, Inter’s Arturo Vidal (currently 399 appearances) could become the first Chilean player to reach 400 appearances in the top five European leagues in the 2000s.
