Inter aim to bounce back against Sampdoria

godtabh

Preview

MILAN, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Serie A leaders Inter Milan are not used to losing and their reaction to the 2-0 Champions League defeat at Liverpool will be key for Sunday's trip to Sampdoria (1400 GMT).

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Tuesday's reverse in the last 16 first leg tie at Anfield was only the second defeat of the season for Inter, who lost 1-0 at Fenerbahce in the group stages in September.

Roberto Mancini's men lead Serie A by 11 points and Italy's top bookmaker has suspended betting on them retaining the scudetto.

However, Inter could not have picked a worse time to visit seventh-placed Sampdoria, one of the league's in-form teams thanks to some stunning performances from forward Antonio Cassano, including last weekend's 1-0 win in the Genoa derby.

Inter will also be without centre back Ivan Cordoba, who might be out for the season after injuring knee ligaments against Liverpool.

Team harmony is also at risk after striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic publicly expressed his anger towards defender Marco Materazzi, who was harshly sent off at Anfield.

The defeat, in which Inter conceded two late goals, hit Swede Ibrahimovic especially hard.

'It was horrible, like a dagger to the heart after all the work we put in,' he was quoted as saying in Thursday's Gazzetta dello Sport.

In contrast, second-placed AS Roma host Fiorentina in fourth on Sunday (1400) high on confidence after a 2-1 win over Real Madrid in their Champions League clash on Tuesday.

Roma's Brazil defender Juan is doubtful with an ankle knock.

The Real win came despite team mates Christian Panucci and Alberto Aquilani coming to blows in training before the game after anger spilled over from last weekend's 1-0 defeat at third-placed Juventus.

Claudio Ranieri's Juve are just a point behind the Rome side but are likely to travel to second-bottom Reggina on Saturday (1930) without goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who has a bad back.

Fifth-placed AC Milan, three points behind Fiorentina, host Palermo in Sunday's late game (1930) with keeper Zeljko Kalac poised to play having come through Wednesday's 0-0 Champions League draw at Arsenal despite dislocating a finger.

Saturday, February 23, 2008
TIME Home Away VENUE
17:00 UK Torino v Parma Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino
19:30 UK Reggina v Juventus Stadio Oreste Granillo
Sunday, February 24, 2008
TIME Home Away VENUE
14:00 UK Udinese v Genoa Stadio Friuli
14:00 UK Sampdoria v Inter Milan Comunale Luigi Ferraris
14:00 UK Livorno v Napoli Armando Picchi
14:00 UK Atalanta v Siena Stadio Azzurri D`Italia
14:00 UK Cagliari v Lazio Stadio Sant'Elia
14:00 UK Empoli v Catania Calcio Stadio Carlo Castellani
14:00 UK Roma v Fiorentina Stadio Olimpico
19:30 UK AC Milan v Palermo Stadio Giuseppe Meazza

Inter were bad during the week. They need a big game tomorrow to pick them selfs back up. Should be ok for them.

AC will draw with Palermo.

Juve should pick all 3 points. Not sure about the Roma v Fiorentina game. Roma's form hasnt been great as of late but they had a big game on Wednesday. Could go any way

ThE_IVIAcIVIAIV

Juve missing alot of top players today.looked shaky for the first 5 mins but just upped the pace with camo and looks promosing.

ThE_IVIAcIVIAIV

1-1 few mins to go. reggina's keep is crap. should of tested him more. its like 30 shots to 2

Mr. Presentable

kearnsr wrote: »

Inter were bad during the week.

Inter were exposed during the week. Like Capello's Juventus, they are geared towards Italy, and in Europe, against more athletic opposition, with more attacking philosophy, and no favours from referees, they are found out.

fortuneg

Momo strikes again & costs Juve a valuable point with a ridiculous attempted overhead clearance (IN HIS OWN BOX) that ended in him missing the ball & kicking a Reggina player, penaly, goal, defeat.

2-1

astrofool

Lol, Ranieri sure knows how to pick them. I mentioned in the Liverpool thread that only an idiot would have bought Momo

Mr. Presentable

fortuneg wrote: »

Momo strikes again & costs Juve a valuable point with a ridiculous attempted overhead clearance (IN HIS OWN BOX) that ended in him missing the ball & kicking a Reggina player, penaly, goal, defeat.

2-1

Robbery! Wouldn't have happened in Moggi's time

godtabh

nipplenuts wrote: »

Inter were exposed during the week. Like Capello's Juventus, they are geared towards Italy, and in Europe, against more athletic opposition, with more attacking philosophy, and no favours from referees, they are found out.

Inter have been bad in the knock out stages off Europe for a long time. Not since the UEFA Cup win against Lazion have Inter had a very good season Europe.

Its typical when a team is doing well that it cant be the team thats got them there. It has to be fabours from refs or the other teams they play against arent good enough.

Inter were unlucky against Liverpool. A bad sending off cost them. 2-0 was an unjust result. 11 against 11 would have been a different story. It will be a differnet game in 2 and half weeks time

Mr. Presentable

kearnsr wrote: »

Its typical when a team is doing well that it cant be the team thats got them there. It has to be fabours from refs or the other teams they play against arent good enough.

It's been fairly well documented this last year that Inter have been, let's say, not unfavourably treated by refs in Italy. A table was posted on one of your threads showing what the Serie A would look like without refereeing "errors". I don't recall your comment on it.

I'm not suggesting the opposition isn't good enough as implied in your post, merely that it is hobbled.

Truth is, I don't believe Mancini has the bottle for winning. What has he actually won as manager without "garnishing"? One Coppa Italia - the competition everyone puts out their reserves for.

Mr. Presentable

kearnsr wrote: »

Inter were unlucky against Liverpool. A bad sending off cost them. 2-0 was an unjust result. 11 against 11 would have been a different story. It will be a differnet game in 2 and half weeks time

I agree they were victims of a harsh ejection, but they never went with the intent to win. 4-5-1 is not an attacking formation, and Ibrahimovic up front alone is not going to put in the effort unless the opposition is Palermo. He is not a crunch game player.

godtabh

nipplenuts wrote: »

I agree they were victims of a harsh ejection, but they never went with the intent to win. 4-5-1 is not an attacking formation, and Ibrahimovic up front alone is not going to put in the effort unless the opposition is Palermo. He is not a crunch game player.

Isnt that whats called tactics?