Stadio Giuseppe Meazza is the venue as Inter and Bologna go head-to-head in a handsomely-looking midweek Serie A fixture. Both sides have plenty to play for this Wednesday after being left behind in their respective seasonal races.
Inter’s Supercoppa Italiana duties allowed pacesetters Napoli to open a four-point gap at the table’s summit. However, with two games in hand, the reigning Scudetto holders are still in a decent position to get their hands around a 21st Serie A title this season.
Matteo Darmian’s first-half winner inspired Inter to a narrow 1-0 triumph at relegation-threatened Venezia last weekend. In addition to helping the Nerazzurri keep up with Antonio Conte’s side, Darmian’s goal marked a remarkable piece of the club’s history.
Indeed, it was Inter’s sixth consecutive away league victory without conceding for the first time. As a result, Simone Inzaghi’s men head into proceedings in a buoyant mood. Unlike their hosts, Bologna suffered another late heartache on Sunday.
A last-gasp penalty conceded by Vincenzo Italiano’s team resulted in a heartbreaking 2-2 home draw against Roma, leaving the Rossoblu three points off the top-six pace. It wasn’t the best way to start the new calendar year, especially after closing the last one with a 3-2 home defeat to relegation-battling Hellas Verona.
Therefore, Bologna will be out to atone for back-to-back upsets and potentially throw a spanner in the works of Inter’s Serie A title defense. Based on their recent results in this fixture, that’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Despite returning from Saudi Arabia empty-handed, Inter have gone from strength to strength in Serie A following a disturbing Derby della Madonnina defeat in mid-September. Inzaghi’s men have since dropped points in only two of their 13 league outings (W11, D2).
Furthermore, they enter this round amid a six-match winning streak in Italy’s top flight, with five triumphs in that stretch coming ‘to nil.’ However, Inter would be naive to underestimate the magnitude of the task awaiting them on Wednesday, particularly after what happened last season.
Bologna didn’t just hold Inter to a 2-2 draw in this corresponding fixture in the 2023/24 Serie A campaign. They also eliminated the Nerazzuri from last year’s Coppa Italia, beating them on penalties on this ground in December 2023.
Yet, Inter can take confidence from humbling this opposition 6-1 in back-to-back home league meetings beforehand. As such, they should feel optimistic about their chances of posting a third Serie A home win on the trot for the first time this season.
