High-flying Sampdoria host the elated Nerazzurri at the Luigi Ferraris stadium in Genoa where both teams will look to build on recent positive results. Kick-off tomorrow Saturday 20:30 CET.

With the winds of the dramatic win over Tottenham in their sails, Inter travel to Genoa to face a very dangerous Sampdoria. The Blucerchiati have gotten their season off to an emphatic start. A 3-o win over title contenders Napoli followed by a 5-0 destruction of Frosinone along with an impressive draw to Fiorentina all point to this match not being anything like Inter’s 5-0 dismantling of the hosts in last season’s corresponding fixture.

Sampdoria coach Marco Giampaolo has a more than impressive record of bringing out the best in his strikers, and this season is no different; veteran Fabio Quagliarella has been scoring his usual highlight reel goals, but he’s accompanied by the equally lethal (and ex-Inter player) Gianluca Caprari and Gregoire Defrel. This trio will require all of Inter’s defensive line’s attention as well as the attention of the midfield duo of Marcelo Brozovic and Roberto Gagliardini not to let anything through. Samp’s midfield trio of Albin Ekdal, Edgar Barreto and Karol Linetty present a tough mix of Serie A experience and no nonsense physicality that will require Radja Nainggolan to put in a performance far better than that he showed against Tottenham.

Luciano Spaletti, in his pre-Tottenham press conference unusually spoke of the midweek match as a potential season changer, a potentially dangerous gamble had the match result ended differently. Seeing that the Nerazzurri managed to win in the most dramatic and psychologically impressive of fashions, it is now time for Spaletti to put his money where his mouth is and show the Inter faithful that both he and his men are able to turn the season around and rediscover their attacking deadliness.

Team News

While Sime Vrsaljko and Lautaro Martinez look like they have recovered from their respective injuries, don’t expect Spaletti to use either player in the hopes of ensuring their full recovery. Danilo D’Ambrosio will probably start at right-back and Dalbert might start ahead of Kwadwo Asamoah to give the Ghanaian wide man some much deserved rest. Otherwise, expect the standard line-up and formation from Spaletti.

Probable Inter line-up: (4-2-3-1) Handanovic; Dalbert, DiVrij, Skriniar, D’Ambrosio; Borozovic, Gagliardini; Perisic, Nainggolan, Politano; Icardi (C).

Stats

Last Season: Sampdoria 0-5 Inter

Last 10 Head to Head: Inter have a slim advantage over Samp, having won five matches to Sampdoria’s three victories. Interestingly, one has to go as far back as 2010 to find a goal-less draw between the two sides.

Keep an Eye on

Mauro Icardi: Inter’s most lethal weapon turn on the style to full blast midweek with his spectacular volley to pull his team back from the abyss. The Inter captain loves to score against his former club and will be in the mood to get his first league goal this Saturday.

Officials

Referee: Marco Guida

Assistants: Meli, Paganessi

Fourth Official: Piccinini

VAR Officials: Fabbri, Vuoto

Prediction & concluding remarks

Prediction & scorers: Sampdoria 1-2 Inter with the Icardi and Politano scoring.

Concluding remarks: Sampdoria have been in fine attacking from, but Inter have been solid defensively, Inter’s problems seem to be at the business end of the pitch, and with the Champions League goals to whet the Nerazzurri attackers’ appetites, one can see a tough win for Inter playing out.