Inter – Roma

Roma will not be an easy opponent for Inter

In the 34th round of Serie A, Inter take on Roma at home. In many ways, the match will be decisive for the prospects of each team. The Milanese have emerged as the main contenders for the league title. They do not need to win every single game to clinch the trophy. Their rivals however have a considerably tougher calendar. Inter overcame the effects of the March crisis, when they were close to falling out of the title race. The away win over Juventus was the turning point. Inzaghi's side then took six points in games against Verona and Spezia. Then, in the cup game, they showed their total superiority over Milan 3-0. In the last ten meetings, Inter are without a single defeat. Roma also put in their best performance of the season. Jose Mourinho's side have been successful on two fronts. In the Italian league, they are the best team in the last ten rounds. In the Conference League, they have beaten their opponents and qualified for the semi-finals. The Eurocup is gradually coming to the forefront for Roma. In Serie A, objectively, it will be too difficult to make up a five-point gap to Juventus. The Romans, after all, should be able to defend their place in the Eurocup zone without a series of victories. The bookmakers expect a surprisingly high number of goals in Milan, although Mourinho traditionally likes to close down in such encounters. Previously, Rome defended a draw in Napoli. Now, a similar scenario is possible against the leaders. The visitors certainly won't play offensively and won't go forward with much effort. Inter remain the clear favourite, but are also slightly overvalued on the line. Odds of 1.60 seem undervalued given Roma's progress. The home team is on the move, but it's far from certain that they will be able to crack the Roman defence with ease. In addition, the visitors' counterattacking play is excellent. Offensively, Abraham is very dangerous. They could also mount a counterattack and then come up against a solid defence. The hosts don't have any injured players at all before the game. Roma, on the other hand, will be affected by the absence of Zagnolo. The talented performer is out for the rest of the season. A relatively close match is expected. The teams have met twice before. Inter won both times easily, 2-0 and 3-0. The December match is less revealing, Roma were in very poor form then. Importantly, the draw does not look like a tragedy for the hosts. Their opponents will lose points more than once, while Inter have relatively easy games ahead.