Serie A pacesetters Inter entertain relegation-threatened Pisa at Stadio San Siro in Friday’s ‘David vs Goliath’ showdown. It will be the first league meeting between the sides at this venue since October 1990.

Inter won October’s reverse fixture at the Arena Garibaldi, courtesy of Lautaro Martinez’s second-half brace. However, El Toro let his team down again in another high-stakes clash on Tuesday, as Arsenal beat the Nerazzurri 3-1 in Lombardy, condemning them to their third consecutive defeat in the Champions League.

After becoming the first Inter manager to lose three Champions League games in a row since 2011, Cristian Chivu must make amends and steer his side a step closer to their 21st Scudetto. The hosts sit at the top of the standings, boasting a three-point lead over second-placed Milan, meaning there’s little time to brood over Tuesday’s heartbreak.

Visiting Pisa could fall victim to Inter’s pursuit of redemption, but Alberto Gilardino’s men won’t go down without a fight, with their top-flight status in jeopardy after a rather difficult return to Serie A. Stuck in the bottom three, the visitors trail 17th-placed Fiorentina by three points, having wasted a second-half lead in last weekend’s 1-1 home draw against Atalanta.

Nonetheless, the Towers have shown notable signs of improvement in recent weeks, despite their woeful Serie A run now stretching to ten matches without a win (D5, L5). Needless to say, another point here would be huge for Pisa, even though they must defy their underdog status to halt a six-game losing streak against Inter in the top flight.

Match Preview

Inter

Things have not gone Inter’s way in the Champions League following an emphatic four-game winning start to the competition. However, despite losing their last three continental outings, Chivu’s charges have gone from strength to strength in Serie A, where they’re unbeaten in nine successive games (W8, D1).

Leading goalscorer Lautaro Martinez netted an early winner in last Saturday’s narrow 1-0 victory at Udinese, putting Inter on the brink of a third straight league win. Anything less would be an upset of epic proportions, not least because the hosts boast a formidable home record in Serie A this season (W8, D1, L2).

In addition to being Serie A’s best-performing attack with 44 goals, Inter have rediscovered their defensive solidity, as witnessed by the division’s high 11 clean sheets this term. Five of those shutouts have arrived at San Siro, where the Nerazzurri have won three of their last four league fixtures (D1), barring a goal-glutted 2-2 draw against fellow Scudetto rivals Napoli.

Pisa

In stark contrast to Inter’s domestic purple patch, Pisa’s inability to turn draws into victories threatens to derail their chances of securing survival. Gilardino’s men have drawn back-to-back league games in the build-up to this trip despite breaking the deadlock on each occasion.

As if that’s not concerning enough, Pisa remain the only Serie A side yet to win a single away match this season (D7, L3), even though 14 of their 16 league goals have come on the road. Indeed, they have netted precisely two goals on five of their last seven Serie A travels (D6, L1), including an impressive 2-2 draw at this venue against Milan in October.

Scoring first may not necessarily guarantee success for the visitors, who have developed a nasty habit of dropping points from winning positions. They have shared the spoils in five of the six Serie A outings when opening the scoring this term (W1), highlighting a worrying lack of game management in decisive moments.

Team News

Inter’s star midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu has recently joined long-term absentees Denzel Dumfries, Tomas Palacios, and Raffaele Di Gennaro on the sidelines. With the Turkish ace in the pits, Petar Sucic is likely to make another Serie A start after netting a spectacular goal in Tuesday’s loss to Arsenal.

As for Pisa, Gilardino has to deal with a plethora of injury setbacks, with Juan Cuadrado, Raul Albiol, Calvin Stengs, Mateus Lusuardi, Daniel Denoon, and Isak Vural expected to miss this trip. Inter loanee Ebenezer Akinsanmiro could return to the squad after Africa Cup of Nations duty, though he’s more likely to start on the bench.

Inter vs Pisa Potential Starting Lineups

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Henrique, Barella, Zielinski, Sucic, Dimarco; Esposito, Martinez.

Pisa (3-4-2-1): Scuffet; Calabrese, Canestrelli, Coppola; Toure, Marin, Aebischer, Angora; Moreo, Tramoni; Durosinmi.

Inter vs Pisa Prediction

Fatigue could be an issue for Inter after Tuesday’s exhausting encounter at San Siro, but there’s no excuse here as they meet one of the division’s weakest sides. Three points are imperative for the Nerazzurri, and we expect them to hold up their end of the bargain.

Prediction: Inter to Win