After the disappointing trio of results against Sassuolo, Torino and Lazio, Inter hope to finally return to winning ways against the underperforming visitors Bologna. Match on tomorrow at 18:00 CET.

With the early season vivacity and enthusiasm all but exterminated, Inter hope to stop the haemorrhage of points against Bologna and their new manager, Inter frenemy Sinisa Mihajlovic.

Luciano Spaletti has struggled to get his side to perform anywhere near its potential over the last three matches and will know that the knot on the hangman’s noose will tighten with every subsequent result. Expect Spaletti to revert to his tried and tested formation and tactics and throw out any notion of experimentation in this match. Spaletti will hope that the same Radja Nainggolan who scored the winner in September will show up to the same effect. The ninja will probably be deployed in the trequartista position behind Mauro Icardi.

Having just fired Pippo Inzaghi and brought in the ever controversial Sinisa Mihajlovic, Bologna will be very keen on getting a positive result (which means going home with any points) in this match. Ominously for Inter, Mihajlovic had made his name as a manager by excelling at the brand of anti-football that Spaletti loathes to face and struggles against.

Tactics aside, Bologna have ex-Interisti Rodrigo Palacio and Mattia Destro in their squad, and all Inter fans know too well how much Inter alums love to score against their former side.

Team News

With Keita still injured, Spaletti will need to really self reflect and decide whether he’s going to deploy the under performing Joao Mario or Ivan Perisic on the left flank. Politano’s suspensions also affords Antonio Candreva a rare start. It is unlikely to see Cedric Soares start the match, but expect the Portuguese international to be available for selection on the bench.

Probable Inter line-up (4-2-3-1): Handanovic; D’Ambrosio, DiVrij, Skriniar, Asamoah; Vecino, Brozovic; Joao Mario, Nainggolan, Candreva; Icardi (C)

Stats

Last Season: Inter 2 – 1 Bologna.

Last 10 Head to Head: Inter go into the match with a clear lead in the H2H record. The Nerazzurri have won five times and the visitors have just one win to their names.

Keep an Eye on

Ivan Perisic: The last two matches have shown that despite his fluctuating form, Inter seem to need the temperamental Croatian on the pitch to get results from their matches. Add the fact that he’ll want to put on his most professional face after his public transfer tribulations and we might be witness to a vintage Perisic performance at last.

Officials

Referee: Fabrizio Pasqua

Assistants: Bindoni and Mondin.

Fourth Official: Giua.

VAR Assistants: Massa and Meli.

Prediction & Concluding Remarks 

Prediction & scorers: Inter 3-1 Bologna with Icardi and Perisic both scoring.

Concluding remarks: Being a sucker for fateful parallels in football, and in that vein, by virtue of the fact that the first stage encounter was Inter’s first victory in the season, this match can be the one where the January demons are set aside.