Siena vs Inter at Stadio Artemio Franchi
Inter are in desperate need of some consistency in Serie A competition. The Serpentisowed up top spot in Champions League Group B with a round of fixtures to spare when they drew 1-1 with Trabzonspor on Tuesday, but it’s their SerieA campaign that needs a little attention.
Last season’s runners up have collected just 11 points from 10 games thus far and, if they suffer their sixth League defeat of the season in Siena, they could end up 14 points adrift of the leaders at this early stage.
To complicate matters Claudio Ranieri is still without a host of players, including Wesley Sneijder, Maicon, Diego Forlan, Sulley Muntari and EmilianoViviano, although the injury crisis hasn’t been all bad as it has allowed the likes of young Argentine Ricky Alvarez to make their mark. Siena will miss first choice ‘keeper Zeljko Brkic, captain Simone Vergassola and top scorerEmanuele Calaio.
Inter return to the scene of their last Scudetto triumph looking for a win to keep their slim hopes of winning this season’s title alive.
Jose Mourinho’s Nerazzurri clinched the second part of their famous treble with a 1-0 win at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in May 2010. It’s a game Siena fans also have memories of, though not so fond ones, as it confirmed their relegation from Serie A.
The Robur returned at the first time of asking as Serie B champions, but when Coach Antonio Conte packed his bags for Turin last summer they became prime candidates for demotion – or so it seemed.
The Tuscan minnows have performed admirably under new boss GiuseppeSannino so far and will start this match in eleventh, three points ahead of their illustrious visitors. Playing in a slightly modified version of Conte’s 4-4-2Sannino’s side have impressed onlookers with their attacking football and lost just once at the Franchi.
Keep an eye on: Mattia Destro (Siena) –The players that Inter let go of have a habit of coming back to bite them – don’t bet against Mattia Destro doing so on Sunday. The 20-year-old was inducted into the Nerazzurri first team squad by Jose Mourinho, but eventually loaned then sold to Genoa as part of the Andrea Ranocchia deal. Destro has been on red hot form since moving to Siena on loan, both for the Robur and Ciro Ferrara’s Italian under-21 side.
Form Guide: Siena (W D W L D) Inter (L W D L W)
Stat fact: Prolific Siena have scored 11 goals in their last four home games.
Siena (probable): Pegolo; Vitiello, Rossettini, Terzi, Del Grosso; Mannini,D’Agostino, Gazzi, Brienza; Gonzalez, Destro
Inter (probable): Julio Cesar; Nagatomo, Samuel, Ranocchia, Chivu; Zanetti,Cambiasso, Motta; Stankovic; Pazzini, Zarate
