Inter head to the Artemio Franchi Stadium to face Fiorentina in Match Day 21 of the Serie A to take on a side that has struggled to reach their potential this season, as they sit in 11th place in the league table, on 22 points.
That is only 7 points clear of relegation, and 15 points behind a place in Europe next season. One of the reasons that Fiorentina are struggling is their inability to score goals.
So far, they have hit the back of the net 21 times, the second lowest amount in the whole league, and have conceded the 8th highest amount of goals with 31.
Fiorentina’s opponents, Inter, meanwhile are still sitting in 2nd place in the league, 2 points behind AC Milan and top the table in goals scored with a cracking amount of 49.
At the other end, in terms of goals conceded, Inter remain 4th best in that regard, having let 23 shots hit the back of their net.
Now, anyone who follows Italian football, or Calcio, as it is known as in Italy. They will know that these two sides have a bit of history when it comes to playing each other. When it comes to the most successful side between the two, it is undoubtedly Inter.
To date, the two sides have faced each other in the league 165 times, where Inter have won 67 times, lost 44 times and drawn 54 times.
When it comes to more recent matches between the two sides, excluding cup games etc, Inter have won 2 out of the previous 5 matches, the other three ending in a draw.
Not only that, but in the last 7 matches Fiorentina have failed to get all 3 points. This is the longest streak since 2006 where Inter either won or drew 13 times in a row, until 2012 where Fiorentina hammered Inter 4-1 at none other than the stadium they are playing in.
On that note, It is worth pointing out that Inter’s form at the Artemio Franchi is not the best. Of the 82 matches played away from home against the Viola, Inter have only won 18 times. Fiorentina have won 29 times, and the remaining 35 matches ending in a stalemate.
The key players for either side are Dusan Vlahovic, Fiorentina’s top scorer, and Achraf Hakimi for Inter, who is officially the highest goalscoring defender in all of Europe’s top 5 leagues.
Vlahovic has asserted himself as a first team player this year with Fiorentina, and has turned in some impressive performances so far.
Of the 20 matches played so far this season, Vlahovic has played in 19 of them, and has bagged a decent seven goals. Not a bad return for a 21 year old who is playing for a side that doesn’t seem to create a lot of chances to begin with.
Hakimi for Inter has been a total revelation. The Moroccan has been in scintillating form for the Nerazzuri this season.
So far, he has featured in all of Inter’s 20 league matches, and has netted an impressive 6 times! Not bad for a 22 year old right wing back in his first season in Serie A.
Honorable mentions go to Romelu Lukaku, Inter’s top scorer this season has scored 14 times in league matches this season, and is only 1 goal behind the leader of the charts, Cristiano Ronaldo.
It will be a difficult game for Inter, as we have seen that Fiorentina make life very difficult for them at their home ground, but previous form would indicate that Inter at least have a shout at winning this.
Hit us up on InterStats & SempreInter on Twitter using #InterStats before, during and after the game for coverage of the fixture.
