MILAN (AP) – History says Inter Milan has a 70% chance of winning Serie A.
In 63 of the last 93 Serie A seasons, the Scudetto was won by the team that was in first place at the halfway point.
On Wednesday, Inter powered their way to the title of winter champions. Pio Esposito trained his muscles.
“This semi-final title means nothing,” Inter coach Cristian Chivu said. “The important thing is to get to the end, to get to May, to get there knowing that we are competitive, to stay locked in at the top…because the league is intense and it’s a battle to the end.”
It has been a close game this season, but Inter opened a gap in the lead on Wednesday.
The 1-0 win against Lecce and Napoli’s goalless draw against Parma gave the Nerazzurri a six-point advantage over AC Milan and defending champions Napoli.
AC Milan, who are second on goal difference, could reduce the gap to three points if they win against Como on Thursday.
Two years ago, Inter were in the lead midway through the league and won the Serie A title. However, they were also named winter champions and were the last team to miss out on the trophy. In 2022, that crown went to AC Milan.
Inter visit Udinese on Saturday, right after Napoli play Sassuolo. Milan host Lecce on Sunday.
major matches
Napoli will face Sassuolo, who are struggling after drawing three games in a row.
Antonio Conte’s side fought back from a 2-0 deficit. draw 2-2 They faced relegation-threatened Hellas Verona and drew on the same scoreline in a thrilling match. Title showdown with Inter before Wednesday’s setback.
Sassuolo have won just one of their last nine games, and that was a month ago.
Juventus and Roma are just one point behind Napoli, and any further delay could have seen them leapfrog the defending champions. Juventus visited Cagliari on Saturday, the day before Roma play against Turin.
Bologna have had a dismal performance and have fallen down the table and haven’t won since November. Coach Vincenzo Italiano will visit Fiorentina, who are in danger of being relegated, to face his former club.
Featured players
Pio Esposito arrived from Serie B and has scored in all competitions for Inter this season, as well as scoring three goals for Italy. The 20-year-old finally ticked another box when he finally scored his first Serie A goal at San Siro.
“I’ve been waiting for this goal for a long time, and finally it’s here,” he said. “It was great to score at home in front of the fans. I’ve dreamed of scoring in this shirt since I was a kid.”
Esposito, already touted as Italy’s next great centre-forward, celebrated the goal by showing off his muscles before sharing a warm embrace with Chivu.
“We have a bond that goes beyond words, but there’s a lot of respect and love,” Esposito said. “We have grown together, me as a player and him as a coach.”
Napoli’s disappointing night on the same night had a lot to do with Parma goalkeeper Filippo Rinaldi making his Serie A debut. He was named player of the match.
Activity suspended
Conte will once again be watching from the stands as the Napoli manager is suspended for a second game after being sent off at the San Siro.
Napoli will be hoping for a proper return from David Neres. The Brazilian came on as a substitute in the second half against Parma after missing the previous few games with an ankle sprain, but was clearly not fully fit and was sent off just before full-time.
Inter’s main midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu has injured his left calf and is expected to be sidelined for three weeks.
off the field
There will be no Italian training camp in February ahead of the important match. world cup playoffs In March.
Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso had hoped that the Italian Football Federation and Lega Serie A could reach an agreement to amend the fixture list to give the Azzurri a few days of time together.
However, this week it was confirmed that this was not the case as a crowded fixture list and television demand made it impossible to find a window.
Italy last played on November 16 and are scheduled to face Northern Ireland on the night of March 22, just four days before their World Cup semi-final play-off.
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