The Serie A title race just caught fire, and Inter Milan are feeling the heat. After stumbling in Bologna and crashing out of the Coppa Italia at the hands of bitter rivals AC Milan, the reigning champions are wobbling—and Roma are ready to pounce.
Level on points at the top, Inter still hold the throne with 71 points, but the air is getting thinner. Roma, sitting on 57, aren’t quite in the title mix, but make no mistake—they’re dangerous, they’re in form, and they’re hungry.
While Inter try to shake off the double sting of recent setbacks, Roma roll into San Siro riding a long unbeaten streak and smelling blood. Sunday’s clash isn’t just a big one—it’s a battlefield where momentum, pride, and possibly the Scudetto are on the line.
Inter Milan are in the middle of a wobble—three games without a win, including a humbling 3-0 collapse to AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-final. Their swagger has slipped, and with a Champions League semi-final against Barcelona looming, Simone Inzaghi has a selection headache he could do without.
The calendar isn’t showing any mercy. Sunday brings Roma to town, and although Inter have bossed this fixture lately—four straight wins, including a 1-0 triumph in Rome back in October—their bruised confidence could make things far less straightforward this time.
Inzaghi may be forced to shuffle the deck after the Derby della Madonnina disaster. Denzel Dumfries and Piotr Zielinski are back on the pitch in training, but suspensions for Alessandro Bastoni and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, plus uncertainty over Marcus Thuram, leave the squad looking stretched.
That means Lautaro Martinez could be flanked by any mix of Joaquin Correa, Marko Arnautovic, or Mehdi Taremi, while the versatile Nicola Zalewski—on loan from Roma, no less—might step in on the wing if Darmian is rested. Between the sticks, expect Yann Sommer to return, while Hakan Calhanoglu reclaims command in midfield.
Inter are wounded, weary, and walking a tightrope—but this is the kind of storm champions are built to weather.
INTER MILAN predicted lineup vs ROMA: Sommer (GK); Pavard, Acerbi, Augusto; Zalewski, Barella, Calhanoglu, Frattesi, Dimarco; Arnautovic, Martinez.
Roma are riding high and brimming with belief. Just one defeat in their last 14 matches across all competitions tells you everything about their recent form—and after back-to-back 1-1 draws, they got back to winning ways last weekend with a gritty 1-0 victory over Verona. Eldor Shomurodov struck early, and the Giallorossi held firm, showing the kind of steel that makes them a real threat heading into the business end of the season.
This is no ordinary clash. With 217 meetings between them, Inter and Roma share one of Italy’s most storied rivalries. Inter lead the head-to-head with 98 wins, but the capital club have 62 of their own and would love nothing more than to knock the wind out of Inter’s Scudetto sails.
Despite Claudio Ranieri’s love for tactical tinkering, he’s expected to keep things relatively stable this weekend. The big question? Who leads the line. Shomurodov made a strong case with his match-winner last week, but first-choice striker Artem Dovbyk is knocking on the door.
Aside from that, Roma are nearly at full strength. Star man Paulo Dybala and defender Victor Nelsson remain sidelined, but captain Lorenzo Pellegrini is back and ready for battle after recovering from a shoulder knock. This team is quietly confident—and they’re coming to San Siro with nothing to lose.
ROMA predicted lineup vs INTER MILAN: Svilar (GK); Celik, Mancini, Ndicka; Saelemaekers, Cristante, Paredes, Kone, Angelino; Soule; Dovbyk.
Inter had been skating by on decent results despite underwhelming displays—but the cracks have started to show. Their dip in form looks more like a collapse with each passing game, and suddenly the Scudetto dream is wobbling at the knees.
Roma, on the other hand, have become a nightmare to break down. They’ve built their resurgence on grit, discipline, and a defence that’s as tight as a drum. They may not dazzle, but they frustrate—and they’re very good at it.
With pressure mounting and both sides unlikely to throw caution to the wind, don’t expect fireworks at San Siro. This one has all the makings of a tense, low-scoring showdown.
Prediction: Draw.
