Coppa Italia holders and Serie A leaders Inter Milan kick off their cup campaign on Wednesday evening, when they welcome in-form Bologna to San Siro.
Victory would set up a repeat of last season's final against Fiorentina in the quarter-finals, but the Nerazzurri's visitors arrive in the second city on the back of three wins from four in the league.
Match preview
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Inter won their ninth national cup last term, after also claiming the Supercoppa Italiana, and the first half of this season suggests they will again be in the mix for silverware next spring.
Top of the table by four points from Juventus in Serie A, Simone Inzaghi's side have posted more victories combined with a clean sheet (11) than any other club across Europe's top five leagues in 2023-24, while also averaging nearly 2.5 goals per game.
Sunday's 2-0 win against Lazio saw Inzaghi get one over on his former club, as Inter's first league defeat of the capital club in Rome for five years was sealed by goals from inspirational captain Lautaro Martinez and his strike partner Marcus Thuram.
Having lost just once in all competitions, and not at all since September, the Nerazzurri have now won 13 of their first 16 matches in a Serie A season for just the second time in their long and illustrious history.
Last term's runners-up, Inter also cruised through their Champions League group, but they will face a tough test of their credentials against Atletico Madrid in the last 16, with an intriguing tie between the clubs scheduled for early next year.
Between now and then, though, they will aim to stride further clear in Serie A and take the first steps towards defending the Coppa Italia trophy they lifted at Stadio Olimpico in May.
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Their hosts may be regular victors in Italy's premier knockout competition, but Bologna will be trying to reach the quarter-finals for just a second time since the turn of the century when they arrive in Milan on Wednesday.
A quarter-final defeat to Inter in 2013 has been the Rossoblu's best run in the Coppa during that time, and they have won it only twice before - most recently in the 1970s.
However, recent results will mean Thiago Motta's men may still fancy their chances of causing an upset at San Siro, where Bologna's boss excelled as a midfielder during the wildly successful Jose Mourinho era.
Last time out in Serie A, Motta got the better of his former manager, as Nikola Moro's opener and a Rasmus Kristensen own goal secured a 2-0 win over Roma that took Bologna three points clear of the Giallorossi and cemented their spot inside the top four.
On home turf, where they have now won each of their last six fixtures - including a Coppa Italia victory over Hellas Verona - the Emilian club are a real force to be reckoned with; however, a record of one win in eight away from Stadio Dall'Ara is less impressive.
While Inter were given a bye to this stage of the cup thanks to their European commitments, Bologna had to overcome Cesena and then Verona in two earlier rounds - now they must put themselves to the ultimate test.
Team News
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As in last week's Champions League game against Real Sociedad, Inter coach Simone Inzaghi is set make several changes to his league XI on Wednesday, when Capocannoniere rankings leader Lautaro Martinez could be among a number of players rested.
Squad members such as Davide Frattesi, Kristjan Asllani and ex-Bologna striker Marko Arnautovic should all be involved, as Inzaghi rotates his resources ahead of Saturday's Serie A clash with Lecce.
Dutch duo Denzel Dumfries and Stefan de Vrij are still sidelined by injury, while a recurring Achilles problem rules out Colombian wing-back Juan Cuadrado; the participation of Alexis Sanchez remains in doubt due to a muscle strain.
Bologna are also set to shake things up a little in terms of personnel, particularly as their absence list has recently shortened and Thiago Motta has most of his men available.
After Riccardo Orsolini returned to full training, only Jesper Karlsson and long-term absentee Adama Soumaoro are ruled out by injury, but leading scorer Joshua Zirkzee may be replaced by his compatriot Sydney van Hooijdonk up front.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen whether Lukasz Skorupski will win the goalkeeper's gloves back from Federico Ravaglia, who surprisingly started against Roma.
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Audero; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Frattesi, Asllani, Klaassen, Augusto; Thuram, Arnautovic
Bologna possible starting lineup:
Ravaglia; Corazza, Lucumi, Calafiori, Lykogiannis; Moro, Aebischer; Ndoye, Fabbian, Saelemaekers; Van Hooijdonk
We say: Inter Milan 2-1 Bologna
Inter have won each of their last eight Coppa Italia contests with Bologna, and even if the Rossoblu are genuine top-six contenders this season, they still cannot topple Italy's most finely-tuned squad. Whatever XI Simone Inzaghi selects, they tend to get the job done.
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Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
