Fiorentina vs Inter Milan
Inter Milan have a golden opportunity at their hands when they fly over to Florence this Friday night.
Their next Serie A fixture will be against Fiorentina, and a victory there could very well put them on top for the next three days or more.
The sense of urgency is apparent for Antonio Conte’s side because it is indeed getting crowded at the top as far as the championship race is concerned.
AC Milan, who were the big winners in Week 20, remain on top with 46 points while Inter Milan are breathing down their necks with 44 points.
On the other hand, few notches below them are Fiorentina, who are sitting at the 11th spot with 22 points.
These two proud sides met last month in the Coppa Italia and it was a painful one to recall for the hosts.
Fiorentina will remember the bad memories as they were dumped out of the tournament, with no thanks to a late goal by then-substitute Romelu Lukaku during added time.
Like Inter Milan, Fiorentina also have an opportunity in this game, albeit for a very different reason.
La Viola can put a massive dent to the Nerazzurri’s championship hopes with a positive result, which will be the perfect revenge for their previous loss in the Coppa Italia.
Talking Points
Inter Milan are locked and loaded
With a complete roster at his disposal, there’s absolutely no reason for Inter Milan to lose this match on the weekend.
Achraf Hakimi is back to 100-per cent fitness while Romelu Lukaku is done serving his suspension after butting heads with Zlatan Ibrahimovic during the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia last week.
Meanwhile, Christian Eriksen is gaining his confidence back after a solid week for the Nerazzurri and he might be featured once again in this matchup replacing Marcelo Brozovic.
Conte may also opt to put in Roberto Gagliardini in the midfield to give Nicolo Barella rest, while Arturo Vidal will have an extended run since he is suspended for the second-leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals.
Milan Skriniar, Stefan de Vrij, and Alessandro Bastoni will be Conte’s back three and Samir Handanovic is their main man behind the sticks.
Inter Milan have been dangerous on the road this term. They have only lost one game so far and that trend is expected to continue this Friday evening.
Franck Ribery celebrates with his Fiorentina teammates after scoring a goal against Torino
Fiorentina defence will be in for a long night
For La Viola to have a chance in this game, their backline needs to hold up against a resolute Inter Milan attack.
Fiorentina shot themselves on the foot against Torino last week as Gaetano Catrovilli and Nikola Melinkovic were both sent off, and their absences will be felt since they’ll serve their suspension this Friday.
Lucas Martinez Quarta, Igor, and Luca Ranieri are expected to marshal the backline. However, their collective inexperience might cost them a goal or two.
But in terms of the attack, Fiorentina won’t have any problems in keeping up against their visitors.
Since the arrival of Cesar Prandelli in late autumn, Franck Ribery has formed a potent partnership with Dusan Vlahovic and that led to more Serie A 2021 highlights.
However, outscoring a team like Inter Milan is virtually impossible. So Prandelli has to implement a defencive approach for this upcoming contest.
History
Inter Milan are coming into this fixture as the heavy favourites given their head-to-head record against Fiorentina.
In their 43 matches together, the visitors have won in 25 games, whereas the hosts have only won 10 times along with eight draws.
The Nerazzurri have won three of their last five league matches against La Viola in a mix of high and low-scoring affairs.
In their reverse fixture last September, Fiorentina fell to a 4-3 defeat after squandering their early lead as Danilo D’Ambrosio shot the dagger to La Viola’s hearts via a late goal in the 89th minute.
Betting Tip
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Fiorentina vs Inter Milan | Inter Milan Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 1.77 |
| February 06, 03:45 (GMT+8) |
The Serie A 2021 odds here at SBOTOP point to a convincing win for the visitors.
Inter Milan are priced at 1.56, while Fiorentina are at 6.00 and chances for a draw are at 3.80 in the 1×2 market.
Given their superior quality and depth, the Nerazzurri should have no problems in earning a victory since they are too strong against an inconsistent Fiorentina squad.
Furthermore, this gives Antonio Conte an opportunity to tinker his rotation for a bit given that they will face Juventus once more in the crucial second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals.
More than anything, this is a perfect warmup for Inter Milan as they prepare for next Wednesday.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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The post Serie A: Inter Milan are Hungry For the Top Spot appeared first on SBOTOP.
