Inter clear cobwebs of the shortened winter break with a home match against minnows Crotone on the dreaded lunchtime slot. Match tomorrow Sunday at 12:30 CET.

Inter start off the new year with a seemingly straightforward home-match against lowly Crotone. The Calabrian Sharks have had a pretty dreadful start to the season and already seem like strong contenders to make the quick drop back into the league’s second tier.

Crotone are the league’s second leakiest defence and they will line up against the league’s most potent front line. Prospects are dim for the visitors in keeping the hosts at bay.

That said, it is exactly this kind of match (and particularly matches played in this time slot) that has proved to be an insurmountable mental hurdle for recent incarnations of Inter.

It is important to remember that this short break is practically Inter’s first since the extremely short off season between the Europa League final and the start of the league. Watching the players step onto the pitch after having had some actual rest will be interesting.

There’s no doubt that Antonio Conte will play his favored 3-5-2 formation with his favored starting eleven. The only question mark lies over whether Conte will decide to start Arturo Vidal or Stefano Sensi in the central midfield role.

There’s no doubt that Sensi is a transformative player when fit, but can Conte trust his fitness enough to actually give him a lead roll in his plan?

This is an important match; not only is it the first match of the new year, but it will be a chance to go clear on top of the table, albeit for a limited time.

Team News

A quick roundup of the 2021 headlines coming out of Appiano; Suning are not selling Inter despite the media’s best efforts to sow unrest in the Nerazzurri camp, Radja Nainggolan is back at Cagliari on loan, and Matias Vecino is finally back to group training and might actually be called up to the squad in the near future.

Probable Inter line-up (3-5-2): Handanovic (C); Bastoni, De Vrij, Skriniar; Young, Barella, Sensi, Brozovic, Hakimi; Lautaro, Lukaku

Stats

Last Season: Not played, Crotone in Serie B.

Last 10 Head to Head: Crotone’s most recent stint in the Serie A was surprisingly fruitful on the head to head front against Inter. The Calabrians managed to take four points from Inter in as many matches.

Keep An Eye On

Achraf Hakimi: The Moroccan winger has been rediscovering his best form; and with Milan Skrinniar in top shape covering the right flank, Hakimi has been given more and more license to join the attack.

It seem that Hakimi has been the key that unlocks many matches when the direct approach has not worked. With Crotone expected to sit back and soak up the pressure, Hakimi might find the spaces he needs to run behind the defense.

Officials

Referee: Gianluca Aureliano.
Assistants: Cecconi and Zingarelli.
Fourth Official: Giovanni Ayroldi.
VAR: Fabbri and Ranghetti.

Prediction & Concluding Remarks

Prediction & scorers: Inter 3 – 0 Crotone with Lautaro, Lukaku, Hakimi scoring.

Concluding remarks:

Inter really have a chance to pile on the pressure on Milan with an early game against league minnows. That said, Inter cannot be anything but professional in their approach to the, underestimating their opponents could lead to a real lost opportunity.