Serie A: Can Roma scupper Inter’s Scudetto hopes? | OneFootball

It has been a difficult week for Serie A leaders Inter Milan.

The confidence was sky-high for the Italian giants after dumping Bayern Munich out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals, but they have since failed to capitalise on it.

Inter were considered the favourites for this year’s Scudetto despite their marginal lead at the summit, however, the unexpected defeat against Bologna has blown the title race wide open.

Inter’s morale took a further hit when their arch-rivals AC Milan thrashed them 3-0 midweek in the Coppa Italia semi-final second leg to book their place in the finals.

The Nerazzurri were clearly suffering from fatigue – having played more games than their Italian rivals – and the injury to key players like Marcus Thuram, Piotr Zielinski and Denzel Dumfries didn’t help their cause either.

With their treble chances narrowed down, Inter will quickly turn their attention towards the league fixture against AS Roma on Sunday.

Every remaining game is a make-or-break for Inter, who share the same points as second-placed Napoli.

Roma will look to rain on Inter’s parade, given their sensational form in recent months.

The capital giants’ fortunes have turned a corner since manager Claudio Ranieri’s arrival, as they have been the best-performing Serie A side this year.

The former Leicester City boss has led Roma to an impressive 17-match unbeaten streak since the middle of December, equalling former manager Luciano Spalletti’s record.

The most remarkable thing is that Ranieri has turned Roma into a well-oiled unit even without their star player Paulo Dybala, who is currently out injured.

A sturdy defence and dangerous counter-attacks are hallmarks for Roma, who have higher chances of causing trouble to what looks like a worn-out Inter.

Eldor Shomurodov, who scored the winner against Verona, and Artem Dovbyk will pose a great deal of threat to Inter’s defence inside the box, while playmaker Matias Soule pulls strings between the lines.

The rock-solid defensive trio of Zeki Celik, Gianluca Mancini and Evan Ndicka can breathe down Inter attackers’ necks all day.

Bryan Cristante’s ball-winning abilities and Manu Kone’s tireless legs will see Roma’s midfield stand neck-and-neck with Inter’s.

On the other hand, Thuram’s absence will continue to hamper Inter and Lautaro Martinez has to shoulder the attacking duties once again.

Mehdi Taremi was out of sorts in the derby defeat, and there are chances that Joaquin Correa or Marko Arnautovic could start in the attack against Roma.

Manager Simone Inzaghi will be relieved to see Zielinski and Dumfries returning from injuries, but defender Alessandro Bastoni’s absence through suspension will be a huge setback.

Inter need to nip the complacency in the bud as they head into the business end of the season, where every game has a consequence.

A victory against Roma is not only vital for their Scudetto chances but also to gain momentum for the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona next week.

The Nerazzuri’s run-in looks difficult compared to Napoli, but they have the experience and quality to successfully defend the title.