Sports Mole previews Friday’s Serie A clash between Frosinone and Inter Milan, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Frosinone will look to boost their hopes of Serie A survival when they host the champions Inter Milan at the Stadio Benito Stirpe on Friday evening.
The Canaries are looking for revenge against the Nerazzurri after suffering a 2-0 defeat in the reverse fixture at San Siro in November.
Match Preview
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Frosinone’s six-match unbeaten run in Serie A has given themselves a chance to avoid the drop, although a goalless stalemate with Empoli last weekend represents their fifth draw during this run.
Despite 17 shots on goal, the Canaries failed to break through Empoli’s strong backline and had to settle for just a point, just over a week after beating Salernitana 3-0 at home – their only victory in their last 14 league matches.
As many as seven teams are still involved in a hotly contested relegation battle with just three matches remaining, including Eusebio DiFrancescoThe Udinese men sit 16th in the table and are two points ahead of 18th-placed Udinese, the team they will face on the final day of the campaign.
Frosinone’s away form has improved slightly in recent weeks, but they will relish Friday’s return to their home stadium where they have collected 78% of their Serie A points (25 from 32) so far this season , just behind La Liga club Granada. (86% – 18 out of 21) for points won at home in Europe’s top five leagues.
The Canaries have looked solid in defense as they have kept a clean sheet in four of their last five matches, but success on Friday could prove difficult as they have lost each of their previous five league meetings with Inter ; they have only played more Serie A matches against Roma (six) without winning.
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There are reasons for Frosinone to be optimistic about success on Friday, however, as their opponents Inter suffered a surprise 1-0 away defeat to relegation-threatened Sassuolo last weekend – just their second Serie A defeat of the season and their first since losing to. the same team in September.
Armand Lauriente scored the only goal of the match 20 minutes into the first half and Inter were unable to respond, registering just one of their 14 shots on target in a sub-par afternoon For Simone Inzaghimen.
Few will be surprised to see Inter’s performance levels drop given they have already clinched a 20th Scudetto and are simply playing out of pride heading into the final stretch when they have 18 points. are ahead of their rivals, AC Milan, in second place with three games remaining. play.
Inzaghi will not want to end the campaign on a whimper, however, and will be rooting for his side to avoid back-to-back league defeats for the first time since April last year; The only time Inter lost consecutive games in a winning season was in 1953, when they lost three in a row.
Inter can improve on their points tally from their last winning season (91 in 2020-21) if they take maximum points on Friday against a Frosinone side they beat by a 13-1 aggregate score in of its previous five top-tier leagues. meetings.
Frosinone Serie A form:
Inter Milan form in Serie A:
Team News
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Frosinone will be without injured quartet Stefano Turati (hand), Sergio Kalaj (thigh), Anthony Oyono (ankle) and Mateus Lusuardi (unspecified), while Enzo Barrenechea is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Barrenechea’s absence could see Francesco Gelli deputizing in midfield alongside Luca Mazzitelli And Marco Brescianiniwhile the rest of Di Francesco’s squad should remain intact.
Nadir Zortea And Emmanuelle Valéri should continue to provide width as a winger, while top scorer Matias Souléwho has 11 goals to his name this season, should be joined in attack by Walid Cheddirawho has scored five of his six goals since the start of the year.
As for Inter, the only absentee is an experienced defender Francesco Acerbiwho missed the last two games with a groin injury and may not return until the end of the season.
Last three of Benjamin Pavard, Stefan de Vrij And Alessandro Bastoni is therefore expected to remain intact, while Denzel Dumfries And Carlos Augusto are the most likely candidates to operate as wingbacks.
Inzaghi will reflect on his recall Marcus Thuram to his first XI or stay with Alexis Sanchez in attack alongside the top scorer Lautaro Martinezwho has scored 23 times in Serie A this season and is seven goals ahead of Juventus Dusan Vlahovic (16) in the race for the Golden Shoe.
Frosinone possible starting composition:
Cerofolini; Lirola, Romagnoli, Okoli; Zortea, Gelli, Mazzitelli, Valeri; Brescianini; Soulé, Cheddira
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Audero; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Augusto; Thuram, Martinez
We say: Frosinone 1-2 Inter Milan
Aware that one or two wins in the remaining matches could be enough to guarantee survival, Frosinone will be motivated for Friday’s match and will hope that the same below-par Inter team that lost at Sassuolo last time out will return to the Stadio Benito Stirpe. .
However, we await a response from Inzaghi’s men and they should ultimately find a way to take all three points against a team they have had plenty of joy against in previous encounters.
For data analysis of most likely outcomes, scores and more for this match, please click here.
