AS Roma vs Inter Milan preview: Roma will have tough chance of reversing slide
This Saturday, struggling AS Roma will play host to league leaders Inter Milan as Roma manager Claudio Ranieri will be in the hot seat looking to put his side back on track.
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Last season Roma finished as the Serie A runners-up, even earning themselves a Champions League spot. The 2010-11 has not started off on the right foot, however, as Roma lost their opening Champions League
match 2-0 to Bayern and are tied for second from bottom in the Serie A standings with a mere two points from four matches, giving up nine goals in that span including a 5-1 loss to Cagliari.
Inter Milan have picked up right where they left off last season as early favorites. The reigning Serie A and Champions League holders were surprised with a 2-2 draw away at Twente Enschede in the Champions
League but have dropped only two points in the league and currently sit in first place in Serie A with three wins and a draw.
Players to watch
Those expected to get things going in a positive way for Roma will be strikers Marco Borriello and Francesco Totti. Roma are also hoping that midfielder Daniele De Rossi will be fit to play and hopefully
offer Roma that desperately needed lift in controlling the middle of the pitch.
John Arne Riise, Rodrigo Taddei and Julio Sergio remain sidelined with injuries.
Inter benefits from having an overwhelming array of talent at their disposal. Even with
Thiago Motta, Javier Zanetti and Walter Samuel all out due to injury, Inter Milan can still find the likes of Dejan Stankovic and Sulley Ali Muntari starting on the bench. Wesley Sneijder is the man whom Inter will look to for
offensive inspiration as he sits just behind strikers Samuel Eto'o and Diego Milito. Sneijder will be expected to play the role of supply line, while the respective Cameroonian and Argentinian frontmen will be expected to put those chances into the back of
the net. Brazilian fullback Maicon is exciting to watch and always a threat coming out of the back.
What to expect
With so much on the line for Roma they could be regarding this match as a bit of last chance to get things going if they hope to remain competitive over the long term, so expect them to come out
with real purpose, especially in front of their hometown supporters. If they can clog the midfield and prevent Sneijder from imposing his will, a lucky bounce or a free kick from an inviting area might provide Roma with the breakthrough they would need to
take the points. Inter, however, are just too good. Expect the Milan side to sneak away with an uneasy 2-1 victory.
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