AS Roma vs Inter Milan preview, H2H, team news, line-ups and prediction

AS Roma will play host to an in-form Inter Milan in what promises to be an exciting Serie A encounter at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday

With just two victories from their opening seven matches, Roma entered a two-week international break sitting in ninth. However, they remain only three points behind fourth-placed Lazio, keeping hopes of a long-awaited return to the Champions League alive.

The Giallorossi haven’t featured in the UEFA Champions League for seven years, and it falls on their newly appointed head coach, Ivan Juric, to lead the Giallorossi back to Europe’s elite competition.

Securing a win against the reigning Serie A champions would be the perfect way to strengthen their case.

A major concern for Roma heading to this encounter is their recent record against their opponent, having managed just one win in their last 14 league encounters with Inter, losing seven and drawing six.

However, their prolific home form might be the game-changer this time, with Juric’s side scoring in 24 consecutive competitive matches at the Olimpico – their longest streak since September 2017.

Roma will be keen to forget their 4-2 loss on this ground in February, a defeat marking Daniele De Rossi’s first as manager.

His successor, Juric, is determined to avoid a similar outcome, having gone unbeaten in his first three league matches in charge.

Juric’s start to life in Roma was impressive, with Roma cruising to a 3-0 victory against Udinese at home before rallying to defeat newly promoted Venezia 2-1.

After winning their first two league fixtures under the Croatian manager, Roma’s inconsistent form carried into October, with a Europa League loss to Elfsborg followed by a disappointing 1-1 draw at Monza.

Artem Dovbyk gave Roma a 1-0 lead in their last Serie A match against Monza, but Dany Mota equalized for the Giallorossi just before the international break. 

Inter Milan, meanwhile, currently sit second in the league and have displayed impressive form over the past year.

Despite finishing 19 points ahead of Milan to claim their 20th Scudetto last season, Inter’s title defence has started inconsistently with four wins, two draws and one loss.

However, consecutive 3-2 victories over Udinese and Torino have restored confidence within Inzaghi’s squad.

Inter’s previous visit to the Olimpico saw them secure a 4-2 victory on their way to clinching the Italian title, with Marcus Thuram’s equalizer sparking a second-half turnaround that sealed all three points.

The Nerazzurri have been the dominant side at the Stadio Olimpico in the last three matches, winning each by multiple-goal margins.

A similar high-scoring performance on Sunday would not only extend their dominance but also make Inter the first team in Serie A history to score 300 goals against a single opponent.

In their latest match, Thuram netted a hat-trick in a 3-2 win over an in-form Torino side, who were down to 10 men midway through the first half.

With seven goals in his first seven league appearances this season, Thuram joins an elite group of only two players to achieve this for Inter this century: Christian Vieri, who scored nine in 2001 and eight in 2002, and Lautaro Martinez, who also scored nine last season.

After recovering from their derby loss to AC Milan with two domestic victories and one in the Champions League, Simone Inzaghi’s men are eager to maintain their momentum and dethrone early league leaders Napoli, now under the guidance of their ex-manager Antonio Conte.

However, Inzaghi will be focused on addressing his side’s defensive issues that have conceded at least two goals in each of their last three Serie A games, matching their worst defensive streak since 2017.

AS Roma Vs Inter Milan match details

• Date: Sunday, 20 October, 2024
• Location: Rome, Italy
• Venue: Stadio Olimpico
• Kick-off time: 07:45 PM BST, 08:45 PM UTC
• Referee: Davide Massa
• Assistant referees: Ciro Carbone, Giorgio Peretti
• Fourth official: Ermanno Feliciani
• VAR: Marco Di Bello
• Assistant VAR: Aleandro Di Paolo
• Tickets: Supporters can buy Roma tickets through the club website or via reputable resellers online.

Match stats and head-to-head

• Inter have scored a league-high four goals within the first 15 minutes this season. Another early breakthrough could be key for the visitors as they look to shake off a recent streak of three draws in their last four Serie A away games.

• Across 182 Serie A matchups between Roma and Inter, the Nerazzurri have emerged victorious 78 times, with Roma winning 50, and 54 games ending level.

• This fixture boasts the highest goal tally in Serie A history, with 530 goals scored, resulting in an average of 2.9 goals per game.

• Roma is Inter’s most defeated team, with 78 wins and 298 goals scored against them in Serie A.

• Inter made history as the first team to score more than one goal in seven consecutive away games against Roma.

• Since 2021, Roma has lost six of their last eight Serie A meetings with Inter.

• With his seventh goal in seven games this season, Inter’s forward Thuram has joined the likes of Christian Vieri and Lautaro Martinez as the only players to achieve such figures in the opening seven matches of the Serie A campaign—Vieri scored nine in 2001 and eight in 2002, while Lautaro Martinez netted nine in last season’s Serie A.

• Among all French players in Europe’s top five leagues, only Kylian Mbappe has had a greater impact on goal involvement, with 40, compared to Thuram’s 28, which includes 20 goals and eight assists since the beginning of last season.

• With 124 goals so far, Dybala is close to becoming the joint third-highest-scoring Argentine in Serie A alongside Gonzalo Higuain with 125. Gabriel Batistuta holds the record with 184 goals followed by Hernan Crespo with 153.

• After firing blanks in his first 10 matches against Inter in Serie A, Roma’s midfielder, Dybala has now netted four goals in his last seven matches against the Italian champions.

Team news

Roma’s forward, Artem Dovbyk looks to have recovered from a knee problem he suffered while on international duty, with the Ukrainian forward cleared to feature on Sunday.

In another major boost for Ivan Juric, Dybala is also back in contention after recovering from injury.

Summer signing, Enzo Le Fee is hoping to recover in time from a tendon injury to make the squad on Sunday evening.

Stephan El Shaarawy and Alexis Saelemaekers remain the Giallorossi’s longest absentees with both players sidelined for Sunday’s clash.

On the other hand, Inter’s midfield star Nicolo Barella – who was absent during Italy’s UEFA Nations League matches, is set to return this weekend while Piotr Zielinski is sidelined due to a thigh injury.

Following some adjustments amid a busy autumn schedule, Simone Inzaghi is expected to field his preferred forward duo of Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram which could potentially lead to Mehdi Taremi and Marko Arnautovic starting on the bench.

Predicted starting lineup

AS Roma predicted starting lineup:

Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, Pisilli, Angelino; Pellegrini, Dybala; Dovbyk.

Inter Milan predicted starting lineup:

Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez.

Prediction

Inter is in for a tough title challenge this season and must perform at their peak in the months ahead. After netting a stunning hat-trick in his last match, Marcus Thuram aims to repeat that success this weekend.

AS Roma has struggled with inconsistency this year and has a disappointing recent history against Inter. Currently, Inter Milan appears to be the stronger side and is expected to secure victory in this matchup

We’re predicting a 2-2 draw.