Preview: Inter Milan vs Bologna- 8:45pm (BST) 1:15am (IST)
Both Inter Milan and Saturday’s Serie A opponents Bologna meet at San Siro having registered back-to-back league wins since last month’s international break.
Antonio Conte’s side comprehensively swept aside Sassuolo - who had been above them in the table until that point - while mid-table Bologna took care of winless bottom team Crotone.
In midweek, Inter escaped from another potential Champions League catastrophe by turning to Romelu Lukaku once more to save them. The goal-hungry Belgian striker put his side two goals ahead in Monchengladbach on Tuesday, but the Nerazzurri almost contrived to blow that lead and slip out of last-16 contention.
Nonetheless, that result keeps Conte’s men in with a shout in Europe and looking upwardly mobile at home, as they have ascended to second place in Serie A despite their still apparent shortcomings.
Since Sinisa Mihajlovic’s return to the Bologna bench, the Rossoblu have won two of the three Serie A meetings against Inter, as many as in the previous 25 games against the Nerazzurri - under a total of 13 different coaches.
Now, following their 2-1 success over Inter last July, Mihajlovic’s men could win two consecutive league games against the Milan giants for the first time since the turn of the century. Not only that, but since the beginning of 2012, Inter have suffered four San Siro defeats against Bologna - only against Juventus have they lost as many times at home in that period.
Inter Milan Serie A form: LWDDWW
Inter Milan form (all competitions): LDWLWW
Bologna Serie A form: LLWLWW
Bologna form (all competitions): WWLWLW