The scourge of Turin is plotting once more as the 2021/22 Scudetto approaches! Inter Milan have a new head coach and are getting ready to go again having wrestled the Italian crown away from the Old Lady for the first time in 10 seasons.
This Inter team, which performed relentlessly last term, had powerful units at either end of the pitch in their triumphant 2021 Serie A campaign. And with the quality of Nicola Barella, Marcelo Brozovic, and Stefano Sensi in midfield, there is quality running right through the team.
Following their Scudetto triumph, the best news Inter fans had all summer was the recovery of playmaker Christian Eriksen, who collapsed during Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 campaign and the 29-year-old is undergoing tests to see if he can play for Inter again.
A home match with Genoa should be a relatively gentle start for the champions. And at odds of 1.30 here at SBOTOP, anything other than a home win would be huge Serie A 2021 news to kick off the new campaign.
That should be an easy prediction to make, so let’s try with three more which are not so certain.
Inter will be kings of Milan
Maybe it isn’t such a crazy idea to suggest AC Milan can be Scudetto winners. With a clever summer of recruiting, they will have Olivier Giroud and Josip Ilicic in to fortify the frontline alongside the evergreen Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
But on the other hand, Hakan Calhanoglu’s switch from the Rossoneri to Inter might well shift the balance further towards the blue and black half of Milan.
And the loss of Gianluigi Donnarumma to PSG means it might well be a battle for AC Milan to even confirm a top four place, with both Atalanta and Napoli well-placed to push Stefano Pioli’s team all the way. Donnarumma was a standout performer in Italy’s Euro 2020 winning campaign and his move to Paris is a huge blow to Milan.
Lukaku and Martinez will run riot
With 47 goals from 72 games, Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku has been a roaring success since arriving at Inter Milan from Manchester United.
He’s bagged 64 goals in 98 internationals and, at 28 years of age, he is just about to come into his prime. Now if that isn’t a terrifying enough thought for Serie A defenders, then take a look at his partner out front!
While Lukaku came second to Ciro Immobile in the chase for the 2021 Capocannoniere with 24 goals and 11 assists, Lautaro Martinez scored 17 goals and made six assists.
The 23-year-old Argentine was tracked by Barcelona last term and Premier League club Arsenal are now keen to secure his services, but Martinez has said he has no interest in leaving the San Siro for North London.
He scored three goals for Argentina in their triumphant Copa America campaign and will rejoin Lukaku, who’s banging in form. The Belgian scored four at Euro 2020, just one short of the Golden Boot.
Inter are on the hunt for a right-sided attacking midfielder and Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi could be the ideal signing.
The Sassuolo man scored 17 last term and was outstanding at Euro 2020. So if Simone Inzaghi can bring him to the San Siro, then Inter’s frontline will be even more prolific.
Handanovic will earn 15 clean sheets
Since joining Inter from Udinese nine seasons ago, keeper Samir Handanovic has been the model of consistency — earning 14 clean sheets — which is the most in Serie A as I Nerazzurri picked up the Scudetto.
And I reckon he’ll go one better this season. He’s beaten that figure before with an incredible 17 clean sheets in 2018/19 and, as club captain, is always guaranteed to give his very best.
At 37, he’s in the twilight of his career at the top level, but his determination and enthusiasm never shows signs of weakening and he’ll be at the forefront of Inter’s title defence.
He has a talented group of defensive players in front of him, but Inzaghi has work to do to keep them all at the club.
Premier League club Everton have joined long-term admirers Atletico Madrid in pursuit of Stefan De Vrij, who formed a brilliant back three alongside Milan Skriniar — who was excellent for Slovakia at Euro 2020 — and the 22-year-old Italy international Alessandro Bastoni.
In addition to those three, Inter can call on Andrea Ranocchia at the back, and there are rumours that Arsenal’s wantaway wing-back Hector Bellerin could be a target for Inzaghi.
The early Serie A 2021 betting odds suggest we’ll see another two-horse race between I Nerazzurri and Juventus. And if I get my predictions right, it could well go down to the wire again.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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