Inter Milan Vs Atalanta: I Nerazzurri Ready To Silence La Dea At San Siro

Matteo Darmian, lurking from Inter Milan's second line (photo: x @inter)

JAKARTA - Inter Milan will try to win their second straight win in Serie A when they host Atalanta BC, at San Siro on Friday, August 30, 2024 or Saturday morning WIB. After a disappointing 2-2 draw against Genoa at the opening of the season, Inter Milan managed to bounce back by beating Lecce 2-0 last week. This victory ensures that they remain on track in defending their Scudetto title.

In the match against Lecce, Matteo Darmian immediately gave the Nerazzurri the lead in just five minutes. Hakan Calhanoglu then added a goal from the penalty spot, marking his 17th success penalty conversion in a row in Serie A.

The 2-0 win extends Inter's 12-year record which has never lost in the first home game of the season. In addition, Inter have recorded a win in their last six seasons in their first home game.

After facing a relatively light schedule of matches, Simone Inzaghi's side now has to face one of the toughest tests in Serie A before the international break. With a strong track record against their main rivals last season, Inzaghi definitely wants to keep that form, starting with the match against Atalanta on Friday night.

In the record of the last meeting, Inter Milan managed to beat Atalanta 4-0 at the San Siro last season, where Darmian also opened the scoring for the match. In fact, Atalanta has never won in their last 11 meetings against Inter in Serie A, which shows Inter's dominance in this competition.

However, although Atalanta is often struggling with Inter, the Bergamo club still shows their ability to compete at a high level, both in Italy and in Europe. They ended last season by finishing in the top five and winning European trophies for the first time in the club's history.

Gian Piero Gasperini, who once had a brief experience as Inter coach, was able to bring Atalanta to achieve this feat despite having to face tough challenges in the transfer market this summer.

Several key players such as Teun Koopmeiners and Ademola Lookman are trying to leave the club, while several other players are injured. However, Atalanta started the season with a 4-0 win over Lecce in Serie A's opener, but then lost 2-1 to Torino after Mario Pasic missed a penalty in the last minute.

Facing Inter at the San Siro, which may be one of the most difficult away games, Atalanta has to face a big challenge without some of their key players. Their own Gewiss Stadium is currently under renovation, so they have to keep playing away.

In this match, Inter Milan will likely still lose their captain, Lautaro Martinez, who has muscle problems. However, Martinez hopes to be on the list of reserve players.

The former Porto striker, Mehdi Taremi, is expected to start with Marcus Thuram on the front lines. Meanwhile, Stefan de Vrij has returned to full training sessions and can enter the bench with Piotr Zielinski, but Tajon Buchanan is still absent due to a leg injury.

In the Atalanta camp, Gian Piero Gasperini still has to face various problems in his squad. Teun Koopmeiners is expected to join Juventus, while Ademola Lookman is also waiting for a possible transfer.

In addition, El Bilal Toure has moved to Stuttgart and goalkeeper Juan Musso to Atletico Madrid. Even worse, Giorgio Scalvini and Gianluca Scamacca were out of business, while Sead Kolasinac and Mitchel Bakker were also unable to perform.

Nonetheless, Atalanta has earned several experienced players such as Rui Patricio and Juan Cuadrado, while Total Bellanova will compete with Davide Zappacosta for full-back positions. Mateo Retegui, who has scored three goals in his first two Serie A games for La Dea, will be a flagship in attack with Charles De Ketelaere, a former AC Milan player.

Based on the latest performances and injury problems experienced by Atalanta, Inter Milan are the favorites to win this match. Although this match is expected to be tight, Inter's lead at home should be enough to get them three points.

Player Composition Forecast:

Inter Milan : Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Taremi

Atalanta BC : Carnesecchi; De Roon, Hien, Djimsiti; Bellanova, Ederson, Pasalic, Rugeri; Brescianini, De Ketelaere; Retegui