Features
A look at Inter Milan’s fixtures in February
As Inter Milan look to cement another Serie A title, we look ahead at their fixture list in February including a huge showdown with Lazio.
Following Simone Inzaghi’s appointment as the new manager after Antonio Conte’s departure, Inter Milan have established themselves as one of the most consistent teams in Europe.
They won the Scudetto title last term and have enjoyed a promising first half of this season, sitting second in the Serie A table with 50 points from 20 games, they are only three points behind the league leaders Napoli with a game in hand. So, they are on course to defend their title.
The Nerazzurri have also been excellent in the Champions League this campaign, finishing fourth in the table with 19 points from eight games. They only conceded one goal in the league phase.
Having finished in the top eight, Inzaghi’s side managed to avoid playing an extra playoff round so they have secured their place in the round of 16 automatically.
Inter had an opportunity to win a trophy last month but failed to achieve that after losing to city rivals AC Milan in the final of the Super Cup despite leading the game 2-0.
Let’s look at Inter’s fixtures this month. The Nerazzurri don’t have a busy schedule this month after finishing in the top eight of the Champions League but they have a few difficult fixtures.
Derby della Madonnina
Inter have lost only three games in all competitions thus far this season but two of those came against the Rossoneri, so fans with Inter Milan tickets will be hoping for revenge in this game.
Milan defeated their city rival 2-1 in the reverse game in the league back in September. Before this defeat, Inter won six consecutive Derby della Madonnina in all competitions but have now lost back-to-back games.
Now, Inter will take on Milan for the 242nd time on Sunday evening. Overall, the Nerazzurri have a better record in this fixture as they have won 91 times compared to Milan’s 81.
The 19-time Scudetto winner have endured a disappointing first half of this season as they are currently seventh in the league with 34 points from 21 games.
The Rossoneri started the season with Paulo Fonseca as the manager but following a string of poor results, he was dismissed and Sergio Conceicao has been appointed as the new manager.
Having become the new Milan manager, the Portuguese guided his new club to win the Super Cup but the Rossoneri continue to display inconsistent performances in the league and the Champions League.
Milan finished just below the top eight spot in Europe’s elite club competition after losing to Dinamo Zagreb on the final day. So, they’ll have to play an extra playoff round to reach the pre-quarter final stage and they’ll face off against Feyenoord. Therefore, Inter will be coming into this game as a huge favourite but anything can happen in a derby.
Fiorentina vs Inter
This game was initially scheduled in December but after Edoardo Bove collapsed during the match, the fixture was postponed. Now, this game has been rescheduled for February 6th.
La Viola were in excellent form when this game was initially scheduled but their form has dropped significantly, winning only one out of the last eight games in all competitions.
They were in a title race at one time but are currently sixth in the table with 36 points from 21 games, sitting only three points behind fourth-placed Lazio with a game in hand. Therefore, if they can win this fixture, they might be able to climb up to fourth spot.
Inter vs Fiorentina
After facing off against Raffaele Palladino’s side in midweek, Inter will take on the same opposition once again in Serie A next weekend but this time the game will be at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium.
The Nerazzurri have had an excellent record against Fiorentina in recent years as they have lost only one out of the 17 games in all competitions. Therefore, the hosts will be looking to continue their impressive record against La Viola in the next two consecutive games.
Derby d’Italia
This is the biggest fixture in the Italian top-flight and it was an excellent affair when these two sides last met in the reverse fixture at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium.
The hosts were 4-2 up at one stage but Kenan Yildiz completely changed the story of the game after coming on in the second half by scoring a brace. In the end, the match finished in a 4-4 stalemate.
Juventus will host Inter at Allianz Stadium in a crucial Serie A fixture on 16th February and this is going to be the 253rd meeting between these two old rivals.
The Bianconeri are the record Italian champions but have been going through a transitional period. They haven’t won the title since the 2019/20 season and are currently fifth in the table with 37 points from 22 games.
The Nerazzurri have had a good record versus the Bianconeri in recent years as they have won 5 out of the last 11 games in all competitions, losing only twice.
Therefore, Inter will be slight favourites to win this game but a derby is always equal, moreover, Juventus will have the advantage of the home support.
Inter vs Genoa
Following a high-voltage encounter against Juventus, Inzaghi’s side will face off against Genoa at home in Serie A on 23rd February.
The visitors have had a promising campaign thus far this season, sitting six points ahead of the relegation zone with 26 points from 22 games. However, they have had tough times against the Nerazzurri in recent years, especially at Giuseppe Meazza as they haven’t won there since 2017.
Promisingly, they drew in the reverse fixture at home, therefore, the visitors will be hoping to do something similar in this encounter as well.
Inter vs Lazio
Inzaghi’s side will finish the month by facing off against Lazio in the quarter-final of the Coppa Italia on 25th February. The hosts have reached this stage of this competition by beating Udinese in the last round.
On the other hand, the side from the capital overcame the challenge of league leaders Napoli in the previous round to reach this stage of this competition.
Lazio enjoyed a brilliant start to this season under Marco Baroni and were in conversation to challenge for the title at one stage. But, they have failed to continue the momentum and have now dropped down to fourth in Serie A with 39 points from 22 games.
They would be hoping to end the campaign with silverware. The last time they won a trophy was back in 2019 and it was the Coppa Italia. Inzaghi was the manager of Lazio at that time.
Now, it remains to be seen how Inter perform this month and whether they can manage to win the Scudetto title once again at the end of this campaign.
