Cristian Chivu has decided to start Pep Martinez in goal, Stefan de Vrij in defence, Henrikh Mkhitaryan in midfield, and Francesco Pio Esposito for Inter Milan against Cagliari.
The starting lineups of Inter Milan vs Cagliari Serie A Match Day 33 at the San Siro have been made official.
Three points tonight could represent the decisive brick in the construction of Inter’s 21st Italian title. This after defeating Como and Roma back to back.
Meanwhile, Serie A title candidates AC Milan and Napoli have both dropped points in recent weeks.
Subsequently, Inter Milan go into Match Day 33 with a nine point lead ahead of Antonio Conte and his Partenopei.
Therefore, a win tonight over Cagliari could put Inter Milan in a position to extend their lead even further.
This as Napoli host Lazio at the Stadio Diego Armanado Maradona tomorrow evening at 18.00 CET.
However, Inter Milan play already tonight. This as the Nerazzurri return to action in midweek in the Coppa Italia semi-final second leg against Como. The match is played at the San Siro,
Inter Milan Vs Cagliari – Carlos Augusto Returns As De Vrij Edges Acerbi
Firstly, the defensive picture is complicated by multiple absences. Yann Bisseck remain unavailable through injury.
Meanwhile Alessandro Bastoni has been given a rest to recharge ahead of the crucial run-in. Petar Sucic also misses out due to suspension following accumulation of yellow cards.
As a result, the left side of the squad is stretched. Carlos Augusto returns to the starting lineup after his impressive displays in recent weeks.
Furthermore, Stefan De Vrij edges Francesco Acerbi for the central berth. Also, Manuel Akanji completes the back three.
I nostri 1️⃣1️⃣⚫🔵 in campo 🆚 Cagliari
Forza ragazzi 🦁@play_eFootball pic.twitter.com/BaYTl7EEpm— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter) April 17, 2026
They trio start in front of Pep Martinez in goal. Swiss veteran Yann Sommer starts on the bench.
Inter Milan Vs Cagliari – Bonny On The Bench As Pio Esposito Partners Thuram
Secondly, in midfield, Mkhitaryan starts alongside Barella and Calhanoglu. Dumfries and Dimarco start in their usual wing-back roles.
Up front, Bonny was reportedly close to a start alongside Thuram. However, Esposito edged him out for the partnership role. Lautaro Martinez isn’t on the bench due to injury.
Regardless, Bonny could get his moment off the bench as Inter keep one eye on the Coppa Italia clash with Como.
In conclusion, Marcus Thuram starts as expected.
Così in campo per #InterCagliari 👇 pic.twitter.com/irSkkALous
— Cagliari Calcio (@CagliariCalcio) April 17, 2026
Inter Milan Vs Cagliari – Official Starting Lineups: Mkhitaryan, Pio Esposito, Pep Martinez & De Vrij Start
Inter (3-5-2): 13 Martinez; 25 Akanji, 6 De Vrij, 30 Carlos Augusto; 2 Dumfries, 23 Barella, 20 Calhanoglu, 22 Mkhitaryan, 32 Dimarco; 94 Esposito, 9 Thuram
Substitutes: 1 Sommer, 12 Di Gennaro, 7 Zielinski, 11 Luis Henrique, 14 Bonny, 15 Acerbi, 16 Frattesi, 17 Diouf, 36 Darmian, 48 Mosconi, 51 Alexiou.
Coach: Chivu.
Suspended: Sucic (1).
Unavailable: Bisseck, Lautaro, Bastoni.
Cagliari (3-4-2-1): 1 Caprile; 32 Zé Pedro, 26 Mina, 33 Obert; 2 Palestra, 8 Adopo, 10 Gaetano, 25 Sulemana, 15 Rodriguez; 29 Borrelli, 94 S. Esposito.
Substitutes: 12 Sherri, 24 Ciocci, 9 Kiliçsoy, 14 Deiola, 18 Raterink, 19 Belotti, 20 Albarracin, 22 Dossena, 27 Liteta, 28 Zappa, 31 Mendy, 37 Trepy, 90 Folorunsho.
Coach: Pisacane.
Suspended: none.
Unavailable: Idrissi, Mazzitelli, Pavoletti and Felici.
Referee: Marchetti.
Assistants: L. Rossi and Cavallina.
Fourth official: Bonacina.
VAR: Meraviglia.
Assistant VAR: Di Bello.
officially Inter has qualified for CL next season. What a great achievement for Chivu.. for who doubt him at the beginning of this season 🙂
Big win. One more step closer to Scudetto. 😀 16 assists for Dimarco.
Can we finally be done with Acerbi? De vrij was On point today
With this goal thuram has scored 17 goals this season and so he will definitely score 20.
Pio needs to learn how to control the ball a lot better than he does and also his close control needs a lot of work. He reminds me of Lukaku with how he plays. He’s clumsy smh
He still has a lot of work to do. But there is so much more room for improvement.
he definitely needs to step up his game, not sure what’s got into his head, but if he continues like this, he can hardly play any important role in the future
That was an amazing goal and an amazing set up. great from diouf bonny and zielinksi. that’s what we should see every game
3-0 lets go!!!
Officially cagliari’s worst lost of the season.
Zielinski is special
Forza inter everyone. The scudetto is ours 😉
Forza Inter!
3-0!
Always has been 🙂
Bonny needs more mins, we need his dribbling. Always shines in his lil mins
put bonny as a left winger. He is so creative and can dribble.
we should really try to bring in Palestra in the summer.
I feel bad for Mikhi. The elderly abuse is real.
What’s Pio doing?
You never know with this team. Need to score the 3rd just to feel more secure.
Barella bringing back his A game these last few games.
like thuram so nice
Barella finally looking like himself last few games
Barella has been great lately. The goal to finish the match
Milito22 & Paulo, you guys better bow to Thuram! Forza Inter.
Oh look someone who rates a performance by “scoring 1 tap in”
I bet you’re one of the guys that thinks Bisseck is the next van dijk because he scores a goal so you ignore all the goals he gives away
Scoring in a key moment. Like he did against Roma and Como. We’re winning this Scudetto thanks to Marcus Thuram. You might not like it, but that’s where we are.
thuram has 16 goals in 39 matches….elite striker no ? ….
Lool
Hah really, for a tap in? Lautaro is far more important for our game, both Bonny and Pio are future, they need more minutes. Thuram is nearing 30, last minute to get big money for him and still hasn’t scored 20 in a season, that alone sums his epithet of “world class striker”, like some news described him as, a couple of months ago.
When you thought that Inter where bottling it, Marcus Thuram showed up and scored/assisted against Roma, scored out of nowhere against Como, and is now putting the last nail in the coffin against Cagliari. We are champions thanks to the great Marcus Thuram, so show some respect.
Real champions and icons of club are those players who show up match after match, season after season, not players who show on occasion. I thank him for his contributions so far, bit in my opinion with his 0 effort play, soon both Bonny and Pio will overcome him in picking order. We are this many points ahead because of mostly 2 players this season, Lautaro and Dima, not gonna argue with you anymore.
There is nothing to argue about. Thuram made sure that bums like you and Paulo will remain silent for the remainder of the season.
Mhm, right, right you muppet.
Come on…still this “almost 30” theory? This is not fifa, or fc or what it’s called these days.
He is not a legend, but a decent player that did his job. It is not about what will be in the future, but about what it is right now.
Came for free, scores and assists. How are so many players better that came for so many millions and flopped? We are trying to win the Scudetto now. The team is not perfect. Life is not perfect, don’t tell me that you are perfect at your job.
We are winning. That’s what matters
So tell me, who would you rather sell instead of Thuram to get big money to replace some of our departing players? Lautaro? Dima? Basto? Pio? Barella? Unfortunately, we have to accept that we have to sell to be able to bring anyone of some quality. As for his playing abilities, i’ve never said he isn’t good, but what he do on the pitch Bonny can also do, only he’ll have several more kilometers by the end of the game.
Haven’t been beautiful but we’ve been efficient
Lool
Ohohooooooo, Thuram with new Dimarco assist and now also Barella. Forzaaaaaa Inter. 😀
BARELLA !!!! That’s another one for him in a month
BARELLA IS BACK!!!
great assist by dimarco
Dimarco determination and Barella control made the goal happen for the tap in. Great goal
Let’s go dimarco. great positioning from thuram. We still need to play better tho. We should play like the scudetto is on the line
Milito22, Paulo? Where are you guys? Bow to Marcus Thuram.
Thuram!
Please be onside
FINALLY
sub mikhi with zielinski in second half
Thuram also, once again his nonchalant play with 0 effort. Man can’t connect 4 games in which he gives his all. Same kind of player as Leao, lazy, 2, 3 good games for every 10 played. Then there are questions here why many of us wants him out of club.
Maybe…or maybe not
Honestly we’ll win the league and we are saving our players for the cup match but dear god… we play so static, there’s no creativity at all. The way we play, it makes our strikers useless. Thats why going into this transfer window i hope we can get some spark and hopefully play better for next season. We’ll def win this match, but i just want to see some sort of identity
It’s really time for Mhiki to retire, beside running around he doesn’t contribute anything. All of his midfield characteristics right now are either average or subpar, pass, shot, 1on1 play, cross, defensive assignments…
Unfortunately he might play the whole game to give barella and Hakan a rest for como
If thats not a yellow card what is. This ref is just guessing at this point.
just garbage. no urgency. wtf is Barella passing the ball back in the final seconds. boot it up field. passing is slow, predictable and a waste of my time watching this crap. this is Cagliari ffs. less than a win today is inexcusable
Sometimes I just wanna slap Thuram ffs
Put some effort in you nonchalant pos
Shut up. You’re the pos
This is MUST win match. Forza Inter. Dimarco in good mood to make new assist.
I was right. 😀
There was no need to mix up our midfield, they just started to build real chemistry
Mikhi just continuously giving the ball away.
He scores 1 goal every 8 months and people think he’s still got it,
too many mistakes by Mkhitaryan already..
mkhi has been so bad so far… why we so scared to use academy players. i’d rather see them get first team experience
There he gave the ball away then got back and fouled the guy he’s been absolutely terrible!!
I’ll thank him for his service, but he needs to retire
Why isn’t there on the bench Cocchi, Bovo or Topalovic? If things go well tonight, there could have been some possible minutes for them
Ugh…completely forgot that mina plays for cagliari. Lets see if he gets sent off within 45 min.
Forza Inter
I’m good with this lineup, except for Bonny instead of Thuram as starter. Give him a breather for 2nd leg vs Como.
Josep is starting… it’s a miracle.