Serie A Preview: Inter Milan vs UC Sampdoria
Eto’o inspires the Nerazzuri:
Rafa Benitez has made an instant impact with Inter Milan. Nerazzuri are third in the league after the first seven rounds. Inter is level on points with the second placed AC Milan and only a slightly inferior goal difference stops them from being second.
Where the all-conquering Diego Milito from last season has gone missing, Samuel Eto’o has stepped up and torn open every defence that has come his way. The Cameroon International gave 12 out of 19 goals that Inter scored this season. The forward was on fire
yet again in the Champions League as he scored a brace and assisted Stankovic for his goal.
Inter Milan's defence has been supremely water tight and thanks to Julio Cesar’s heroics in goal, the club has the best defensive record in peninsula with just three goals conceded. Inter now take on Sampdoria in supreme form and a victory is likely to take
them to the top of the rankings.
Sampdoria looking to regain momentum:
The Blucerchiati have made a positive start to the season and stand 7th in the league with 10 points; just 2 points off fourth placed, SS Napoli. Sampdoria are undefeated in the league ever since they lost to Azzurri at home on 19th
September 2010.
Il Doria’s European adventures have been only disappointing as they lost to FC Metalist Kharkiv 2 – 1 on Thursday despite being in numerical advantage. Domenico Di Carlo will now look to put the disappointment behind him with an impressive outing against
the reigning Italian and European Champions.
Team News:
Inter Milan
Inter Milan have several key players out injured with their respective injuries. Nerazzuri trained yesterday ahead of this fixture but Amantino Mancini, Thiago Motta, Diego Milito, Dejan Stankovic, David Suazo and Nelson Rivas were seen doing individual
drills. Rafa Benitez has already named the squad for this match and indeed all these players have been omitted from the squad.
Expected Formation
The 4-3-3 that paid heavy dividends last year for Mourinho has been smartly kept by Rafa. Samuel Eto’o will play as the central forward yet again while Goran Pandev and Coutinho will flank the in-form hit man. Wesley Sneijder, Sulley Muntari and Esteban
Cambiasso will line up in the midfield. Inter has a brilliant defence and Julio Cesar will be confident of keeping a clean sheet.
Probable Line up
Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Walter Samuel, Christian Chivu, Wesley Sneijder, Sulley Muntari, Esteban Cambiasso, Goran Pandev, Coutinho, Samuel Eto’o.
UC Sampdoria:
Di Carlo will be delighted to have a clean bill of health as the manager has a full strength team to choose from.
Expected Formation
Doria play an attacking 4-4-2 formation with Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini leading the line. Mannini and Stefano Guberti will look to stretch the opposition from their wide positions while Fernando Tissone and Angelo Palombo will look to dominate
the hugely talented Inter midfield. In defence, Stefano Lucchini and Daniele Gastaldello will have their hands full dealing with the mercurial Eto’o.
Probable line up
Gianluca Curci, Luciano Zauri, Stefano Lucchini, Daniele Gastaldello, Reto Ziegler, Stefano Guberti, Fernando Tissone, Angelo Palombo, Daniele Mannini, Antonio Cassano, Giampaolo Pazzini
Key Players:
Samuel Eto’o
Eto’o is the most in-form striker in the world at this point in time. Another inspired outing from the Cameroonian talisman will make sure that Inter bag three vital points at home.
Antonio Cassano
Following a blistering start to the season, Il Talentino de Bari has been playing off his lofty standards. Sunday’s match would be the ideal platform to prove his detractors wrong. Cassano is a genius with the ball at his feet and Sampdoria will look for
inspiration from their skipper.
Prediction:
Inter Milan are firing on all cylinders and the vocal home support will only make things better for them. However, Blucerchiati are also a dangerous outfit, more than capable of creating an upset. Nerazzuri will manage to hold off Doria attack thanks to
their superb defence and walk out as 2 – 1 victors.
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