Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images ## **When is Inter Milan vs Lecce?** **Competition:** 2023-24 Serie A **Venue:** San Siro **Date:** Saturday, December 23, 2023 **Kick-off:** 8:45 PM (CET), 2:45 PM (ET) Match Preview ## **How to Watch:** Those in the US can watch on Paramount+. International viewers can check their own listings **here.** _Serpents of Madonnina has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Serpents of Madonnina may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links._ ## **Possible Line-up:** _Inter Milan_ _predicted starting 11 (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Arnautovic, Thuram_ _Lecce predicted starting 11 (4-3-3): Falcone; Gendrey, Pongracic, Baschirotto, Gallo; Blin, Ramadani, Oudin; Strefezza, Piccoli, Banda_ Remember to keep things friendly in the comment section. Keep things clean and civil with each other. Links of any kind aren’t allowed. And as always, Forza Inter!

**Current Table** * **2 points for guessing the correct result (win, loss, or draw)** * **1 point for guessing the amount of****Inter Milan****goals scored** * **1 point for guessing the amount of****Inter Milan****goals conceded** * **1 point for guessing the total amount of goals** * **1 point for the bonus question** **Next Opponent: vs Lecce** **Lecce Bonus Question: Do either of Inter’s wingbacks score?**

Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce/Getty Images Wasteful with their opportunities, Inter concede twice in the final eight minutes to bow out of the Coppa Italia With both teams heavily rotating their squads, you would have thought Inter’s depth would result in a comfortable win. While they dominated possession, Inter were unable to score in regulation and for the 7th time in the last nine Coppa Italia round of 16 matches, they took the game to extra time. Luck ran out as Inter quickly scored in the first extra time but then conceded twice in the final eight minutes of the match. While winning the Scudetto is Inter’s main objective this season, being eliminated this early in the Coppa Italia is disappointing. The reigning title holders exit after their first tournament match, dominating possession in regulation (61%) and outshooting their opponent 17 to 3 (four shots on target to none) in the first 90 minutes. After their extra-time goal, the team played poorly and paid the price! * * * **Starting XIs** Inter Lineup Inter’s heavily rotated squad had Audero making his second appearance in goal and a whole new midfield of Frattesi, Asllani, and Klaassen. Arnautovic started up-front with Lautaro. Had some injured players been available, we would have seen even more rotation. Bologna Lineup Surprisingly, Bologna also heavily rotated their squad. Thiago Motta’s team has been the surprise of the Serie A season so far, so he elected to keep some of his stars on the bench, clearly looking forward to the weekend’s match against Atalanta in an attempt to maintain their top-four position. * * * **First Half** Inter controlled the first half with 57% possession and a nine-to-one advantage in shots. Unfortunately, only two of their nine shots were on target: one strike from outside the box from Klaassen that was directly at Ravaglia (in the 8th minute) and the other from Frattesi in the 31st minute from a nice pass from Carlos Augusto that required a great save from the Bologna keeper as the ball was heading to the far corner of the net. The rest of the half consisted of several ‘half-chances’ from Inter and a great backheel flick from the former Inter academy player, Fabbian, that went narrowly wide of Audero’s goal (in the 12th minute). The half was a bit frustrating for Interisti, as the team was not able to take advantage of their superiority, and the teams headed into the break scoreless. **Second Half** The second half was similar to the first, with Inter controlling 66% of the possession and having an eight-to-two advantage in shots. While Bologna never threatened in the half, Inter had two chances in the first twenty minutes. in the 53rd minute, an errant pass from Ravaglia allowed Asllani to steal the ball deep and pass to Arnautovic, who shot the ball wide. The second was a penalty on a handball from Corazza. Lautaro’s shot was not the best placed or most powerful, resulting in a save by Ravaglia. Like in the first half, the rest of the second half consisted of more ‘half-chances’ without any additional shots threatening the Bologna goal. **Extra Time** Extra time started well for Inter, as they finally scored in the 92nd minute. A Dimarco corner was headed beautifully by Carlos Augusto to give the home side the advantage. After the goal, Inter played on the counter but never really threatened to double their lead. Of note is that Lautaro came off in the 98th minute, holding his groin and limping. Hopefully, this is nothing serious. Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images The second extra time could not have gone worse, as Inter conceded twice in the span of four minutes. Bologna had its first corner of the game in the 112th minute. The deep cross was acrobatically healed back by Zirkzee and scored by Beukema. After this goal, Inter went on the attack and paid the price on a counter by Bologna. Zirkzee got his second assist by passing the ball to Ndoye, who was too fast for the Inter defense and lobbed the ball over Audero for the goal. Inter tried to get back into the game, but never threatened again. Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images * * * Photo by Mattia Ozbot - Inter/Inter via Getty Images **Player Ratings** **Audero - 5.5:** Hard to rate Audero as he had no saves but conceded two goals. Maybe should have done better on the first goal. On the positive side, he was very good with the ball at his feet and was accurate on five of his eight long balls (overall, had a 92% pass success rate). **Bastoni - 6.5:** Seemed shaky with the ball at times, but the stats were favorable. He won seven of eight duels, had three tackles, an 89% pass success rate, and connected on four of five long balls. **** **Acerbi - 5.5:** Was solid in defense until the second extra time as he allowed Zirkzee to get the better of him on the second goal (should have fouled him to stop the play). Had three clearances, three interceptions, and three tackles. **Bisseck - 6:** He played well for his 90 minutes, with a 92% pass accuracy rate, and won two of his three duels. **Carlos August - 5.5:** Scored the Inter goal but struggled defensively, losing possession a team-high 21 times and only winning four of 12 duels. **Klaassen - 4.5:** The second-string midfield struggled to make an impact on the game. For starters, Klaassen had a rough night with only 36 touches and an 81% pass success rate. His limited appearances this season have not been good. **Asllani - 5.5:** Asllani has been good this season, but his long passing was off tonight, and he lost possession 19 times. He only connected on two of 12 crosses and three of seven long balls. This was not his best night. **Frattesi - 4:** How can a midfielder play the full 120 minutes and only have 41 touches? His passing was abysmal (47% success rate), and he missed a great chance in the 50th minute by scuffing the ball. Other than his one shot on goal, it was a night to forget! **Darmian - 6:** With the team’s other RWBs injured, Darmian is playing every minute of every game. He didn’t have much impact on the game despite his 80 touches, but his rating has more to do with his being a true warrior for the team. **Martinez - 4.5:** Lautaro is always giving 100% on the pitch, but tonight was not his night. Not only did he miss the penalty that would have given Inter the win, his passing accuracy was a low 72% and he lost possession 14 times. Let’s hope he is not injured, as he still is the team’s MVP this season. **Arnautovic - 4.5:** I was hopeful Arnautovic would be a contributor this season, but so far, he has disappointed. 70% pass accuracy, four shots (none on target), and his big miss in the 53rd minute. Another player who had a night to forget! **Inzaghi - 5.5:** While I agree with the team rotation for this match, unlike against Benfica, he was not able to get the team on track in the second half. What should have been a comfortable win will linger in the minds of Interisti for a while. His substitutions seemed to be correct but ultimately were ineffective. * * * Bologna is a good team that is very well-coached. There is no shame in losing to them. But at home, when you have the lead and dominated the match? We saw this against Sassuolo earlier this season and to some extent in the first Bologna match. It’s been some time since Inter tasted defeat. With their next game on Saturday against lowly Lecce, will they bounce back with a convincing win? Will Lautaro be fit to play? It seems that the only forward combination that works for the Nerazzuri is Lautaro-Thuram. If Lautaro misses time, will Inter struggle to score? While the Coppa Italia is history for this season, Inter must stay focused to extend their lead in Serie A, and be ready for battle with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League come February. Forza Inter!

Photo by Emilio Andreoli - Inter/Inter via Getty Images ## **When is Inter Milan vs Bologna?** **Competition:** 2023-24 Coppa Italia Round of 16 **Venue:** San Siro **Date:** Wednesday, December 20, 2023 **Kick-off:** 9:00 PM (CET), 3:00 PM (ET) Match Preview ## **How to Watch:** Those in the US can watch on Paramount+. International viewers can check their own listings **here.** _Serpents of Madonnina has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Serpents of Madonnina may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links._ ## **Possible Line-up:** _Inter Milan_ _predicted starting 11 (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Asllani, Frattesi, Augusto; Arnautovic, Sanchez_ _Bologna predicted starting 11 (4-2-3-1): Raviglia; Posch, Beukema, Calafiori, Kristiansen; Freuler, Moro; Ndoye, Ferguson, Saelemakers; Zirkzee_ Remember to keep things friendly in the comment section. Keep things clean and civil with each other. Links of any kind aren’t allowed. And as always, Forza Inter!

Photo by Danilo Di Giovanni/Getty Images Powered by Inter’s deadly frontline duo, Inzaghi triumphs over his old side Inter just keeps winning. Not even a visit to Simone Inzaghi’s old stadium, a place of frequent defeats for the Nerazzurri of late, nor the chance to go four points clear at the top thanks to Juve’s draw with Genoa, could keep Inter from claiming a 2-0 victory over Lazio under the Sunday night lights at Stadio Olimpico. Lautaro Martinez bagged the eventual game-winner in the 40th minute before Marcus Thuram ended Lazio’s hopes on the counter in the second half. It was far from a picture-perfect performance, and the Nerazzurri underwent long stretches of suffering, but always bent and never broke, allowing its final third quality to shine through and make the difference. **Starting XIs** Lazio’s XI (4-3-3) Inter’s XI (3-5-2) With de Vrij, Dumfries, and now Cuadrado all unavailable, Simone Inzaghi trusted the big occasion to Yann Bisseck, while Matteo Darmian filled in on the right flank. Lazio, meanwhile, lined up in Maurizio Sarri’s favored 4-3-3, but with the surprise benching of Luis Alberto for Daichi Kamada in midfield. **First Half** The intensity levels were turned to high from the word go, but it was Lazio that fared better under the bright Stadio Olimpico lights. The home team had Inter out of sorts and unable to establish a rhythm, controlling the majority of possession and looking particularly strong in the center of the park. Inter, however, would find the opener out of the blue forty minutes in. A wayward Adam Marusic backpass landed at the feet of Lautaro, who rounded Ivan Provedel and tucked home his 29th goal of 2023 - the most of any Inter player in a calendar year since 2000. > Serie A top-scorer Lautaro Martínez makes Lazio pay for their mistake. pic.twitter.com/1yWOoCET0B > > — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 17, 2023 It was far from a perfect half, but Inter had the advantage thanks to Marusic’s error and Lautaro’s lethal finish. The stats were quite even, with Lazio holding 53% of possession and 6 shots (2 on target) versus Inter’s 7 (one on target). **Second Half** Inter’s lead almost disappeared just moments after the interval, when Nicolo Rovella pounced on an ill-timed Hakan Calhanoglu giveaway and drove goalwards, only to be thwarted at the last minute by a Sommer save. That set the theme for the second half, which featured a bit more Inter possession but just about every chance coming in front of Sommer’s goal. And just as I was writing that, Marcus Thuram doubled Inter’s lead with the visitors’ first shot of the second half, burying a Barella assist on the counter in the 66th minute. > Marcus Thuram has not disappointed in his first season with Inter. pic.twitter.com/pgP7GoAf3b > > — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 17, 2023 It was almost 3 five minutes later, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan couldn’t take advantage of a similar situation and sent a shot of his own directly at Provedel. At the other end of the pitch, any hopes of a Lazio comeback (which had made no signs of appearing up to that point) were struck down by a straight red to Manuel Lazzari for blasphemy in the 86th minute. In fact, it was Inter that came closest to a third goal of the night, but Mkhitaryan and Frattesi let chances to ice the cake go begging. All in all, though, it was an evening to savor for the Nerazzurri. * * * **Player Ratings** **Sommer - 7:** Another shutout to his name, and this one he had to earn with four far-from-routine saves. **Bastoni - 7.5:** Had a busy evening on both sides of the ball, with the most touches on Inter (104), 8 accurate long balls, 4 duels won, 2 clearances, 2 interceptions, and 1 blocked shot. **Acerbi - 7:** Rock-solid in the back, controlling Inter’s defense and notching 7 clearances, 1 blocked shot, and 1 interception. **Bisseck - 7:** Just his second Serie A start but already looks like a perfect fit, playing a key role in the shutout with 6 duels won, 3 clearances, the 3rd-most touches on Inter, and a 93% passing accuracy. **Dimarco - 7:** A well-rounded showing from the Italian, tallying 3 duels won, 2 clearances, 1 blocked shot, 2 key passes, 2 accurate long balls, and a 93% passing accuracy. **Mkhitaryan - 6:** A fairly lowkey evening from Mkhitaryan, featuring a 94% passing rate, 1 key pass, and 4 clearances. **Calhanoglu - 6.5:** His almost costly**** giveaway to Rovella was the only blemish to an otherwise solid outing, featuring 2 duels won, 4 accurate long balls, 1 key pass, and a 94% passing rate. **Barella - 6.5:** Assisted Thuram’s goal to follow up a strong performance in the final third against Napoli, but didn’t have much of an impact otherwise, with just the 6th-most touches on Inter and a 79% passing rate. **Darmian - 6:** Struggled going forward with a 77% passing rate and a team-high 14 giveaways, but made up for it on the defensive end with 4 clearances and 1 interception. Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images **Lautaro - 8 (Man of the Match):** Broke the deadlock with a not-as-easy-as-it-looked finish and was generally a nuisance for Lazio, winning 11 of 16 duels, and notching 2 clearances, 2 interceptions, and 1 key pass. **Thuram - 7:** Continues to show up in the big moments with a superbly taken goal, although the rest of his workload came on the defensive side of things with 1 clearance, 1 blocked shot, and 1 interception. **Inzaghi - 8:** Got the win over his old club, and deservedly so, doing excellently to neutralize Lazio by allowing Inter to bend (quite a bit on some occasions) but never break. Has the defense in particular playing on another level entirely, and even when Plan A isn’t working, still finds ways to win. Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images Inter now has a four-point lead on top of Serie A after Juve drew with Genoa. Next up is a home Coppa Italia Round of 16 meeting with red-hot Bologna Wednesday and then a visit from Lecce on Saturday in league play. Forza Inter!