Serie A Preview: Inter Milan – AS Bari
Eto’o going strong for Inter
Following their opening day draw against Bologna, Inter Milan under Rafa Benitez has bounced back with two successive wins against Udinese and Palermo, both victories coming through a 2-1 score line. Diego Milito has been out of sorts so far this season;
looking a shadow of the player that he was last season when he conquered pitches across the continent. Samuel Eto’o on the other hand is playing like a man possessed. The Cameron skipper has scored 4 goals in last three appearances and is looking every inch
the striker that conquered European competitions in his Barcelona days.
In midfield, McDonald Mariga is putting impressive performances and will keep Thiago Motta out of the squad if he keeps his fine form. The centre back partnership of Lucio and Walter Samuel is going as strong as ever.
Nerazzurri were expected to stutter early on in the season under the new coach but things look bright for the Spanish tactician.
Bari aiming for survival
Bari surprised itself last season with an impressive return to Serie A. Much of the success was built around the centre back paring of Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Ranocchia. The talented defenders are tipped to be the future of Azzurri. However, both the
players were offloaded. Bonucci was signed by Juventus while Ranocchia returned to his parent club Genoa.
Despite losing the pair, Bari has made a positive start and has stayed undefeated in the league so far. Their opening day victory against Juventus was a historical moment. The victory was followed by two successive draws against Napoli and Cagliari.
With likes of Massimo Donati, Sergio Almiron and Barreto still playing for the club, Bari will be hopeful they will stay in the top league for at least one more season
Team News
Inter Milan
Long serving club captain Javier Zanetti suffered an injury during the match against Palermo and will be out for a while. The skipper joins Thiago Motta and Wesley Sneijder on the sidelines. Cristian Chivu is also struggling for fitness. However, he will
still make the substitute bench at the very least.
Expected Formation
Inter will line up in the 4-3-2-1 formation that has worked well so far this season. Milito will be hopeful of finding his form upfront while Goran Pandev will play in the trequartista role. Cambiasso and Dejan Stankovic will look to dominate the middle
of the park. Marauding fullback Maicon will look to terrorize the Bari wide men with his runs.
Probable line-up
Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Chivu, Muntari, Cambiasso, Stankovic, Pandev, Milito, Eto’o.
Bari
Apart from Spanish midfielder Romero, the coach has a full squad at his disposal.
Expected Formation
Bari will make it to their usual 4-4-2 formation. Vitali Kutuzov and highly talented Barreto will take the striking role. The duo will look for support from a midfield comprising of Donati, Almiron, Abdelkader Ghezzal and Alvarez. Club Captain Jean-François
Gillet will be severely tested in the goal.
Probable Line-up
Gillet, Andrea Raggi, Andrea Masiello, Marco Rossi, Salvatore Masiello, Edgar Alvarez, Massimo Donati, Sergio Almiron, Abdelkader Ghezzal, Barreto, Vitali Kutuzov.
Key Players
Samuel Eto’o
Samuel Eto’o and his form will be crucial for inter throughout the season. Had it not been for him, Inter would have been struggling. Milito is a world class striker but until he puts his act straight, Eto’o will have to produce his best. The injury to Wesley
Sneijder, who scored a significant amount of goals from the midfield, will have added responsibility on the striker.
Jean-François Gillet
The Belgian international goalkeeper will have to be on his toes to face Samuel Eto’o and company. His saves will be crucial for Bari’s chances in the match.
Prediction
Bari has a talented squad but playing at San Siro, it will surely be a task too big for them handling Inter. Expect Eto’o to be on the score sheet for the third consecutive Serie A fixture. Inter to win by a 2-1 score line.
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