It’s not yet been three months since deadly Diego Milito shot Inter to the Champions League title, capping a remarkable campaign that saw Jose Mourinho’s side scoop a historic treble. With the World Cup and the drama of the transfer window, it feels an age ago that Javier Zanetti held aloft the ‘Big Eared Trophy’ and it is time for Calcio to return with its now traditional curtain raiser.
Much has changed in Pinetina since that joyous evening in Madrid, with Jose Mourinho choosing to remain in the Spanish capital and Rafael Benitez taking charge in Milan. Aside from the change in the dugout, the most dramatic event of the summer was Mario Balotelli’s long-winded switch to Manchester City, while the only money the Nerazzurri have parted with has secured the permanent signings of Andrea Ranocchia and Parma duo MacDonald Mariga and Jonathan Biabiany.
Pre-season has seen a sprinkling of wins, draws and losses, but now it’s time to put these mere warm-up encounters to one side as Benitez leads his men into a competitive 90 minutes for the first time.
Adding to the spice of the tie are Francesco Totti’s claims that Inter have been “protected”, a claim denied by Dejan Stankovic, who is looking forward to the fixture.
“The matches between Inter and Roma will continue and on Saturday night it will be beautiful. I don't believe Inter have been protected, Inter won because they deserved to and Totti knows this,” he told Sky Sport 24.
Inter, therefore, will not be taking this fixture lightly.
Create A Watershed
Last season Roma were the only side who could get near to Inter in Serie A. A strong finish to the campaign saw Claudio Ranieri’s men go on the charge, forcing Inter into something of a wobble and closing the gap on the champions to just two points by the end of the campaign. Had it not been for a dire start, the Scudetto would have been even more intensely contested by the Giallorossi.
Now with Ranieri in place from the outset of the campaign, the ultimate goal is to dethrone Inter, and Italy boss Cesare Prandelli believes that the Lupi are the best placed side to achieve such a feat over the course of a 38-game campaign.
“Roma remain the most fierce anti-Inter,” the Azzurri coach stated to La Stampa before quashing any real hopes of title success. “For the championship, I don't think there are alternatives to Inter.”
Having failed to lure Nicolas Burdisso from Inter over the course of the transfer window, Roma are already one psychological batter down against the European champions, but they won’t let that deter them going into this fixture.
Victory could give the Lupi the belief they need to compete with an Inter side still coping with the loss of talismanic coach Mourinho to Real Madrid, putting a cat amongst the pigeons and causing a little panic in the ranks of their northern cousins. The Lupi will be going out to win this game.
Prediction
Matches between these two sides last season were invariably tight, and there will be little between them once again. Though Inter are the better side, they are in something of a transitional phase and Roma will fancy themselves to catch their opponents a little cold. Inter lost this fixture to Lazio in China last season, but with home advantage this time around should have just about enough to edge their opponents.
Inter Milan 2-1 Roma 
