AS Roma in Search of First Victory Against Inter Milan in Serie A Contest

Last season AS Roma blew the title race wide open by going on a 21-game unbeaten streak. Despite I Lupi’s late title push

—where Claudio Ranieri’s men even topped the chart for a week—the Romans ended up paying the ultimate price with their 2-1 defeat to Sampdoria on April 25 which eventually lost them the Scudetto.

Tonight last season’s title contenders entertain champions Inter Milan at the Olimpico with the hope of bagging their first victory of the season.

However, while the Nerazzurri seems to have found their stride under the tutelage of Rafael Benitez, the Giallorossi have been struggling due to Claudio Ranieri’s defensive tinkering.

Expect a heated battle as the classic opponents go head to head with the Eternal City serving as the almighty backdrop.

Inter Milan

Inter sit prettily atop the Italian flight with 10 points to their name only four rounds into the new campaign. After some initial struggling due to the tactical changes implemented by José Mourinho’s successor, Rafael Benitez, the treble winning side is finally settling into their stride.

The goalless draw away to Bologna in the opening day of the campaign was followed up by a shaky 2-1 win over an Udinese side still awaiting the much anticipated turnaround.

A 2-2 draw against an inspired Twente in Match Day 1 in the Champions League tournament was followed by a 2-1 victory in Sicily against Palermo where Samuel Eto’o scored a brace as the champions overturned a 1-0 deficit to bag all three points.

Eto’o played an integral part in the Nerazzurri’s 4-0 thumping of Bari in midweek as the Cameroon not only bagged his second brace in as many games—albeit from the penalty spot—but also assisted to one of Diego Milito’s goals and created numerous other chances for his teammates.

Free of the defensive shackles placed on Eto’o by José Mourinho, the Cameroon international is once again scoring a truckload of goals, currently parked atop the capocannoniere chart with five goals to his name.

As Inter are looking to increase the down to the chasing pack, Benitez will have to do without the services of Walter Samuel, Thiago Motta, Marco Materazzi, and captain Javier Zanetti.

AS Roma

Roma kicked off the 2009/2010 campaign in disastrous fashion by collecting a mere seven points in five outings. Despite the unsuccessful start, the Romans managed to get within two points of lifting their third Scudetto.

This season has started off along the same lines—with a measly two points in four games—with the Giallorossi currently parked second to last, eight points adrift tonight’s table-topping opponents. Last year there was a sense of harmony surging throughout the squad, this season several players have gone official with the existence of issues in the dressing room.

The goalless draw in the opening day against newly promoted Cesena was mainly due to the heroics of 40-year-old goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli, but it doesn’t excuse the multitude of chances squandered by I Lupi throughout the game.

Especially not in consideration to the deservedly 5-1 thumping at the hands of Cagliari as the team fell apart after Nicolas Burdisso’s first half dismissal. The defeat was followed up by a 2-0 defeat at Allianz Arena in the opening day Champions League game against Bayern Munich.

Despite several media outburst from the otherwise ever so cool Ranieri, the Eternal city-side next failed to deliver the goods at home against Bologna where they only managed a 2-2 draw despite going two up. Instead Ranieri’s men complacently fell behind, allowing Marco Di Vaio to level the score.

The crisis was enhanced after the team’s midweek collapse away Brescia where the newcomers were two up before newly arrived Marco Borriello pulled one back towards the end of the game. Nevertheless, the game was surrounded by controversy as a handful of refereeing errors resulted in Philippe Mexes’s dismissal and saw Ranieri going on another rant, this time publicly criticizing the referees.

The former Juventus tactician will have to make do without Rodrigo Taddei and goalkeeper Julio Sergio, who may have sustained a fracture in the foot in the midweek clash against Brescia. Instead Bogdan Lubont will make a rare appearance between the sticks. On the bright side, Ranieri will once again have both Daniele De Rossi and wingback John-Arne Riise at his disposal.