Serie A: Mourinho Magic Remembered as Inter Come to the Capital

AS Roma vs Inter Milan

In one corner of Milan, they still talk about the dream of 2010. That was the year when Jose Mourinho banded together a collection of gifted rejects with a point to prove and then defied history to win the lot.

Inter made history back then by becoming the first Italian side ever to win a treble of Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and the Champions League.

Until last season, the Nerazzurri had never since come close to being crowned domestic or European champions.

This weekend, the defending champions are reunited with their former boss and hero, who’s now in charge at AS Roma.

What a welcome he is likely to receive from the visiting fans.

But who will be creating the Serie A 2021 highlights on Saturday teatime?

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Talking Points

This is a meeting of the teams placed fifth and third but there is a bit of a gap developing at the top.

Inter’s title-winning squad may have been weakened in the summer but they are still only two points off the summit and they closed in on the leaders with a win at newly-promoted Venezia last weekend despite failing to convince – which was swiftly followed up by a midweek victory over Spezia.

Roma, meanwhile, are nine points off Inter. And if they do have genuine title ambitions this term, nothing other than victory will suffice this weekend.

That gap widened on Wednesday night when a Mattias Svanberg scorcher earned Bologna a surprise win against the Giallorossi.

What’s more, Tammy Abraham was left positively distraught after receiving a soft yellow card on the stroke of half-time. It seemed to be an accidental collision with Svanberg, but it means that the Roma striker will be suspended for the showdown with Inter.

He may have relished taking on a makeshift defence that Inter currently have.

Although coach Simone Inzaghi trusted his makeshift defence to deliver in what he called an emergency situation against Spezia, he will hope some of his men return this weekend.

In midweek, Alessandro Bastoni (stomach) joined Stefan de Vrij, Matteo Darmian, Andrea Ranocchia, and Alexander Kolarov on the treatment table.

In truth, Inter aren’t playing that well but are getting results – a trait Mourinho used to specialise in but appears not the case at the moment.

With Fiorentina, Bologna, and Juventus all just a point behind Roma, he could really do with rediscovering that characteristic as the champions come to the capital.

History

Since their very first meeting in the 1929/30 season, these teams have met in the Italian top flight, the Coppa Italia, the former UEFA Cup, and the Supercoppa.

Overall, Inter have triumphed 85 times, while there have been 56 Roma wins and 57 draws.

Only once since 2009 have Inter won in the Stadio Olimpico. That was in 2018 when goals from Mauro Icardi (two) and Vecino overturned an opener from Edin Dzeko (now of Inter) to seal a 3-1 win.

Since then, six of the seven meetings have ended all square.

Milan Skriniar hopes to see Inter give an account of their quality and cement their position at the top of Serie A — Milan Skriniar of FC Internazionale in action during the Serie A football match against Spezia Calcio

Last season in January, this was a four-goal thriller I covered – a match in which Roma showed their character to twice fight back against the eventual champions.

Milan Skriniar and Gianluca Mancini earned the club from the capital a share of the spoils after Lorenzo Pellegrini and Achraf Hakimi twice put Inter in front.

That was a sixth successive draw between the clubs.

The re-run towards the end of the last season turned out to be an Inter title coronation.

With the championship already sealed, Inter ran out 3-1 winners, courtesy of goals from Marcelo Brozovic, Matias Vecino, and Romelu Lukaku with the Belgian’s one-time United teammate Henrikh Mkhitaryan replying for Roma.

Betting Tip

	AS Roma vs Inter Milan	1X2 Draw @ 3.55
	December 05, 01:00 (GMT+8)

Inter have the edge with the SBOTOP Serie A 2021 betting odds. They can be backed 1X2 @ 2.06 or Asian Handicap – 0.25 @ 1.81.
Roma are a little further adrift, both 1X2 @ 3.30 and Asian Handicap +0.25 @ 2.13.

If you expect goals in this encounter, there are an array of options to consider including total goal 0-1 @ 4.90, 2-3 @ 2.11, 4-6 @ 2.77, and over 3.25 goals @ 2.21.

I do think there will be a few goals.Maybe not that many, although a re-run of last season’s 2-2 draw in the corresponding fixture is on offer @ 11.00 with Correct Score.

As for a cheeky option, how about the hosts scoring the first or last goal – both available @ 2.29?

After six successive draws preceded Inter’s victory in May, I think we are due yet another draw.