Inter Milan’s midweek victory has kept them firmly in the Serie A title race, and the reigning champions look to build on their momentum as they host Venezia at San Siro on Sunday.After a thrilling 4-4 draw with Juventus, Inter bounced back with a 3-0 win over Empoli on Wednesday, capitalizing when their opponents were reduced to 10 men in the first half. Italy international Davide Frattesi, given a rare start, made his mark by scoring twice, while Lautaro Martinez added a third to secure the win. This result marked Inter’s 11th away victory in 2024, strengthening their position as Serie A’s top-performing team on the road and extending their unbeaten streak to seven games, including a Champions League win over Young Boys.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Simone Inzaghi’s squad will face Premier League contender Arsenal in the Champions League next week, followed by a crucial league clash with Napoli, now coached by former Inter manager Antonio Conte. But first, they’ll need to stay focused against Venezia, who have struggled this season and currently sit near the bottom of the standings.In contrast to Inter’s controlled victory, Venezia had to fight hard for three points in their own midweek match against Udinese. Down 2-0, the Lagunari mounted a spirited comeback, spurred by a penalty from captain and top scorer Joel Pohjanpalo. A red card for Udinese then shifted the momentum, with Hans Nicolussi Caviglia equalizing from a free kick before Pohjanpalo struck again from the spot to complete a 3-2 comeback. This was only Venezia’s second win of the season and a welcome boost after a challenging start under new head coach Eusebio Di Francesco.However, Venezia have struggled on the road, with only two points collected and an average of over two goals conceded per game. A visit to San Siro, where they suffered a 4-0 defeat to AC Milan earlier in the season, poses a formidable challenge.Voici la composition Probable du match Inter 🆚️ Venezia de la Gazzetta dello sport 🗞🇮🇹 ©️📷 Thomas Buttoudin pic.twitter.com/2mMyO0Mkxc— PassioneCalcio⚽️Italiano🇮🇹 (@PassionCalcioI) November 3, 2024 Inzaghi may welcome the returns of regular starters Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Acerbi this weekend, though both players could be rested in preparation for Wednesday’s match against Arsenal. Kristjan Asllani remains sidelined due to a knee injury, and Brazilian wing-back Carlos Augusto may also miss out until after the international break. With a busy schedule, Inter could rotate their squad, potentially bringing in reserve forwards Mehdi Taremi and Marko Arnautovic to give some rest to Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram.On Venezia’s side, left-winger Bjarki Bjarkason remains out, while recent returnee Marin Sverko is available. Pohjanpalo, the team’s top scorer, will lead the attack alongside USA international Gianluca Busio, with ex-Inter player Gaetano Oristanio and John Yeboah vying for a spot in the lineup.Don’t Look any further! Atalanta’s atomic duo tears the table-toppers to pieces!Few hours earlier, Roma return to Serie A action on Sunday, looking to build on their midweek victory as they face Hellas Verona at Stadio Bentegodi.Prior to their narrow win over Torino, the Giallorossi had lost three out of five matches, struggling to find consistency, while Verona’s recent poor form has seen them slide down the standings. After suffering a heavy 5-1 loss to Fiorentina and a defeat to Inter Milan, Roma had dropped into the bottom half of the table. The Torino win, however, eased some pressure on newly appointed manager Ivan Juric, who faced growing speculation over his future and needed all three points against his former club.In Europe, Roma’s performances have been underwhelming as well, with only one win in three Europa League outings. Juric even acknowledged internal tensions following the Fiorentina defeat, as his squad struggled to regain their footing. With star striker Artem Dovbyk out due to illness, Juric deployed Paulo Dybala as a false nine, a move that paid off when Dybala scored the winning goal with a spectacular shot from an unlikely angle.That victory briefly lifted Roma back into the top half, though they still sit 12 points behind the league leaders and six points off local rivals Lazio. Despite summer additions, including Dovbyk, Roma continue to average only one goal per game in Serie A. However, they may be hopeful of improving that tally against Verona, who have been defensively fragile in recent matches.The list goes on and on: Another disappointed Ballon d’Or nomineeVerona, while historically unsuccessful at Roma, have won two of their last three encounters at the Bentegodi. Yet, their recent form is troubling, with three consecutive defeats, conceding 10 goals in the process, giving them the league’s worst defensive record so far. Although they opened their campaign with a surprising victory over Napoli under new coach Paolo Zanetti, they’ve struggled since the last international break.After back-to-back heavy losses, including a 6-1 thrashing by Atalanta, Verona desperately needed points midweek against Lecce but fell 1-0 after being reduced to nine men. The dismissals of Jackson Tchatchoua and Reda Belahyane, with Belahyane particularly losing composure, have left Verona just a point above the relegation zone.Voici la composition Probable du match Verona 🆚️ Roma de la Gazzetta dello sport 🗞🇮🇹 ©️📷 Thomas Buttoudin pic.twitter.com/5YOb9UjgDk— PassioneCalcio⚽️Italiano🇮🇹 (@PassionCalcioI) November 3, 2024 For Roma, Juric had to make late changes on Thursday, with captain Lorenzo Pellegrini sidelined by an injury sustained in training and Dovbyk out sick. Both could be available this weekend, though Juric praised Dybala’s performance as a makeshift forward against Torino. Dybala’s first-half goal brought his Serie A tally to 125, tying him with Gonzalo Higuain as the third-highest scoring Argentinian in the league, behind Hernan Crespo and Gabriel Batistuta.Verona will be without Alexis Saelemaekers, who remains sidelined with an ankle injury, though Mario Hermoso is available again after suspension. Additionally, the team is still missing injured players Juan Cruz, Pawel Dawidowicz, and Martin Frese, with Tchatchoua and Belahyane both serving one-match bans.After sitting out midweek, first-choice goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo is expected to reclaim his starting role from Simone Perilli, while Dani Silva may replace Belahyane in midfield.SERIE A – MATCHDAY 11Saturday Bologna – Lecce 1-0 (0-0)/Orsolini 85/Udinese – Juventus 0-2 (0-2)/Okoye 19 og, Savona 37/Monza – Milan 0-1 (0-1)/Rejinders 43/Sunday Napoli – Atalanta 0-3 (0-2)/Lookman 10, 31, Retegui 90+3/17.00: (3.25) Torino (3.40) Fiorentina (2.35)20.00: (4.80) Verona (3.60) Roma (1.85)22.45: (1.17) Inter (7.50) Venezia (16.0)Monday 20.30: (2.85) Empoli (3.10) Como (2.65)20.30: (1.88) Parma (3.50) Genoa (4.20)22.45: (1.50) Lazio (4.20) Cagliari (6.75)***odds are subject to change***
