Inter Milan will play Lecce in midweek action in Serie A, and they will hope to keep hold of their current lead at the top at a minimum.

Two things happened on Sunday as Inter Milan’s run of 19 games without a draw ended, while Napoli also stopped them from winning a seventh consecutive game, and they will hope to bounce back against Lecce. The third thing was that Cristian Chivu’s side failed to take advantage of AC Milan’s draw to a struggling Fiorentina side, as they could have potentially extended their lead at the top.

Nevertheless, the big game clash on Sunday at San Siro between Inter Milan and Napoli was exciting enough. The Nerazzurri managed to take the lead twice in the game, first through Federico Dimarco and then Hakan Calhanoglu’s spot-kick right at the stroke of halftime.

Napoli had star man Scott McTominay to thank for as the midfielder scored twice to peg back Inter Milan’s lead and keep themselves relevant in the title race. Inter Milan are currently have a three-point lead at the top with AC Milan only separated by three points, while Juventus and Napoli are only four points behind, which does make the midweek clash against Lecce a must-win encounter for Chivu’s men.

Eusebio Di Francesco has a big task on his hands: first, to help Lecce win games to climb up the table, and second, to improve the team’s record against Inter Milan. The Serie A strugglers have failed to score in five of their last six meetings with the Nerazzurri, conceding at least twice on each occasion. Lecce comes into this game week with a three-point buffer over 18th-placed Fiorentina,

Lecce have not won any of their last four games since their victory over Pisa. This run of four matches does include an eventful draw to Juventus away from home, and they have since lost out to Roma and Parma. The latter was a rather tumultuous encounter, where two of their players were sent off.

There is a big task on the manager’s hands to steer the team clear of the relegation zone. Given that Fiorentina are the closest threat in that regard, La Viola’s quality could add to the pressure, as they could target some positive results moving ahead, but for that to come at San Siro against Inter Milan might be wishful thinking at this point.

Team News & Tactics

Inter Milan

Cristian Chivu continues to wait for an update on his midfield general, Hakan Calhanoglu, after the midfielder suffered a muscle problem. There is a big probability the Turkish international will not play in midweek, although the manager would not want him sidelined for too long, given his importance in the side.

Calhanoglu potentially joins the likes of Josep Martinez, Denzel Dumfries and Matteo Darmian on the sidelines. Beyond that, Chivu does have a strong enough squad, and the Inter Milan manager might even ponder a few rotations against US Lecce to keep his players fresh ahead of some important clashes in Serie A and the UEFA Champions League.

Petar Sucic or Henrikh Mkhitaryan could come into the midfield for this midweek clash, while Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny are pushing to make starts. Chivu could also rotate Dimarco with Carlos Augusto on the left wing, while Luis Henrique will retain his spot on the right side.

Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez, given his current form, could retain his place in the front two, with Marcus Thuram likely to be allowed some rest, and Bonny could be his likely replacement.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Henrique, Barella, Sucic, Zielinski, Augusto; Bonny, Martinez

US Lecce

Eusebio Di Francesco could be forced to make some key changes to his lineup owing to the melee of red cards in their loss to Parma. For starters, Lameck Banda and Kialonda Gaspar will miss out on this clash with individual suspensions for their red cards in the previous game.

Moreover, Ylber Ramadani is also suspended for a booking, which could see the manager make enforced changes. There are further injury issues with Tete Morente, Gaby Jean and Medon Berisha are set to miss out on this trip to San Siro.

There might not be a place for AC Milan loanee Francesco Camarda, and Di Francesco could continue to use Nikola Stulic as his main striker despite his obvious struggles for form.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Falcone; Veiga, Gabriel, Perez, Gallo; Kaba, Coulibaly, Maleh; Pierotti, Stulic, Sottil

Key Stats

• Inter Milan have won their last 11 home matches against Lecce in all competitions.
• Inter Milan have kept a clean sheet in their last five matches against Lecce in all competitions.
• Lecce have failed to score in five of their last six encounters with Inter Milan.
• Lecce are only three points ahead of 18th-placed Fiorentina in the table.

Player to Watch

Lautaro Martinez

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The skipper had another blank against Napoli, but he has been improving in other aspects of his game. After going on a run where he was scoring with regularity, Martinez must find his scoring boots again, especially with a tough run of fixtures ahead.

This is a pressure-induced situation for Inter Milan in the title race and the Champions League, as Chivu will want his skipper in top form during a tough turn in. The game against Lecce could come as a big opportunity for Martinez, as he could potentially find himself on the scoresheet.

Prediction

Inter Milan 3-0 Lecce

Lecce have been struggling of late, and they have not failed to score in five of their six clashes with Inter Milan, home or away. Moreover, Di Francesco’s side are also missing key players, which could see them lose by a big margin against the league leaders.

Meanwhile, Chivu will want to correct the mistakes from the weekend and secure a much-needed win for his side in midweek. Inter Milan are Serie A’s most lethal side at the moment, and it won’t be surprising if they are to score three or more goals against Lecce and even keep a clean sheet.