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Internazionale will be confident of getting their first win in 2014 when they host lowly Sassuolo, whom they massacred 7-0 on the road in the early rounds of the Serie A season.
Inter (6th place) has been in wretched form so far this year and if they will not get back to form ASAP, they will ruin all the good things they did in 2013 under Mazzari. The hosts are currently on a 6 match winless run in all competitions, losing 4 times and drawing 2 times. The offensive game, which worked so well in the first part of the season, has been particularly worrying for Inter: the team failed to score more than 1 goal / game in the last seven matches! Actually, during the 6 match winless streak, Inter scored only 2 times. Realizing the problem, Walter Mazzari asked for Hernanes (Lazio) in late January and he got him – with the brazilian star set to deputize today.
Sassuolo (19th place) started the season in horrible fashion, looking like a lock to finish last in the Serie A after the first few rounds. However the newcomers found some form during November 2013 and had a great run which saw them climb out of the relegation zone. But it did not last long, and Sassuolo is again in horrible shape: the visitors have 4 consecutive defeats in Serie A and 8 defeats in the last 9 games overall! Sassuolo has the worst defence in the league, allowing more than 2 goals / game in average, but at least they are decent up front, scoring more than once / game themselves. In January, Sassuolo conceded 12 goals in 5 matches, at least 2 in every game.
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Bet with the best odds and highest limits at Pinnacle. |
Team news & lineups
Cambiasso and Alvarez are out for Inter Milan. Sassuolo will not be able to count on Alexe, Acerbi, Masucci, Magnanelli, Gazzola, Terranova and Mendes, so the visitors are (again) facing some serious selection problems.
Inter Milan: Handanovic – Campagnaro, Rolando, Juan Jesus, Nagatomo – Jonathan, Taider, Kovacic – Hernanes, Milito, Palacio
Sassuolo: Pegolo – Manfredini, Cannavaro, Ariaudo, Rosi – Biondini, Marrone, Brighi, Ziegler – Floccari, Berardi
With so many points lost this year due to offensive inefficiency, surely Mazzari will look to attack from the kick off against Sassuolo and get some things going up front. Recovering the offensive strength has been the main training objective for Inter this week and it should pay off against a team with no defensive quality whatsoever. Hernanes should also be able to help in this regard. Inter to win looks like a solid betting tip, but the odds are too short given their current form and I don`t know if they will cover the spread. I will go with over 2,5 goals here. I expect the hosts to score at least twice, while the offensive-minded Sassuolo should also be able to see some open spaces and get one goal, considering Inter`s bad form and attacking approach to this game. If Sassuolo does not score (I really think they will), then a little bit of luck could see Inter score three and still make this a winning bet. Pick over 2,5 goals to be scored. Prediction: Inter Milan – Sassuolo 3-1.
Pick: over 2,5 goals
Odds: 1.73 @ Pinnacle
Stake: 8
Possible profit: 5.84
Event date: 9 February
