Aiming to salvage some pride from a lacklustre Serie A campaign, Inter Milan kick off their run-in by welcoming Fiorentina to San Siro on Saturday.
Defeat in the Derby d'Italia saw Inter slip behind Lazio in the race to finish second to runaway leaders Napoli, while the international break intervened just when the Viola were building up a head of steam.
Match preview
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Not for the first time in their long and often bitter rivalry, Inter and Juventus played out a controversial clash just before Serie A stopped for international football to take centre stage.
Beaten 1-0 in an ill-tempered encounter at San Siro, the Nerazzurri lost to Juve for the second time this season, after Filip Kostic's superb strike split the sides in Milan. In the build-up, Adrien Rabiot had appeared to handle the ball, but after a long VAR check the goal ultimately stood.
Both teams had a man sent off at the end as scuffles broke out, and another defeat leaves Simone Inzaghi's side third in the standings, now two points shy of Lazio in second and two ahead of city rivals Milan, who sit fourth.
Nine losses from 27 fixtures so far represents Inter's worst such tally since the 2011-12 season, when they ended up in sixth place, but as they rarely draw these days it is generally a case of 'win or bust' for Inzaghi and co.
Having previously lost to lowly Spezia, if they cannot fare better against in-form Fiorentina then the Nerazzurri would go pointless through three straight Serie A matches for the first time in six years.
In addition to Romelu Lukaku's welcome, if overdue, return to form while on Belgium duty boosting their goal threat, history is certainly on their side as they aim to avoid doing so: Inter are unbeaten in each of their last 11 league games versus the Viola.
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Having drawn the club's last league meeting in Milan, just over a year ago, Fiorentina are now aiming to build on a brilliant run before the break by beating Inter in Serie A for the first time since April 2017 - a remarkable 5-4 thriller at home in Florence.
Vincenzo Italiano's current crop blazed a trail through March by extending their success streak to a total of seven successive wins - the most recent being a 1-0 victory over Lecce.
With a place in the Europa Conference League quarter-finals assured and the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final clash against Cremonese coming up next week, Fiorentina are also back in the top half of the table as a result of such fine form.
One of the Viola's victories, over Inter's old foes AC Milan, formed part of a four-game winning sequence in Serie A - the most they have managed since 2018 - and confidence will be high in the camp ahead of their trip to the second city this weekend.
Losing to a breakaway goal in stoppage-time - shortly after Luka Jovic's volley seemed to have salvaged a point - brought a heartbreaking conclusion to their last tussle with Inter in October, when a see-saw affair ended 4-3 to the Nerazzurri. In Saturday's reverse fixture, then, gaining a measure of revenge may also serve as motivation.
Team News
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Despite the temptation to rest his international stars before the first leg of Inter's Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday, Simone Inzaghi's need for positive results means a strong side will be selected to face Fiorentina.
Inzaghi has concerns about the condition of Hakan Calhanoglu, who picked up a muscular problem while representing Turkey, so former regular Henrikh Mkhitaryan might return in midfield, alongside Marcelo Brozovic and Nicolo Barella.
Though Milan Skriniar's back issue keeps him sidelined again and Danilo D'Ambrosio is suspended following his dismissal in the Derby d'Italia, Alessandro Bastoni is back in action after missing out on an Italy call-up due to injury; Federico Dimarco remains unavailable. Meanwhile, a rejuvenated Romelu Lukaku features up front.
Back-up goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu is Fiorentina's only injury absentee for Saturday's game, but Luka Jovic has contracted a respiratory virus and may also be ruled out.
In the latter's absence, Arthur Cabral would lead the Viola's front line, and the Brazilian forward ran into the international break with eight goals from his last nine games.
As ever, five players will vie for two places either side of the central striker, with Nicolas Gonzalez and Riccardo Saponara the men in possession.
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Mkhitaryan, Gosens; Martinez, Lukaku
Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
Terracciano; Dodo, Milenkovic, Igor, Biraghi; Amrabat, Mandragora; Ikone, Bonaventura, Saponara; Cabral
We say: Inter Milan 2-1 Fiorentina
After their momentum was disturbed by a fortnight's break, Fiorentina's hot streak is set to come to its end on Saturday evening. Inter must get back on track ahead of another high-stakes meeting with Juventus, and with Brozovic and Lukaku finally returning to full fitness they can claim all three points.
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