Serie A Preview: Inter vs Roma – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Stadio Giuseppe Meazza forms the backdrop for Sunday’s mouth-watering Serie A encounter between Inter and Roma. Lega Calcio rightfully decided to postpone this fixture – previously scheduled for Saturday – to honor the funeral of the late Pope Francis.

An extra rest day may do well for Inter after their ‘treble’ dream evaporated in midweek Coppa Italia action. Indeed, Milan vanquished Simone Inzaghi’s lofty aspirations with a dominant 3-0 win in the second leg of their blockbuster semi-final tie, heightening the pressure on the Nerazzurri down the final stretch of an intense Serie A campaign.

Last weekend’s last-gasp 1-0 defeat at Bologna blew the Scudetto race wide open, allowing second-placed Napoli to draw level on points. With a dreaded title playoff in play should the sides finish tied, Inter can ill afford more setbacks in what promises to be a nerve-shredding run-in. However, there’s more distraction waiting around the corner.

Inter will take on Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie only days after Roma’s visit to San Siro. Claudio Ranieri’s charges can rely on fresher legs as they bid to avenge a narrow 1-0 loss in October’s reverse fixture, which formed part of an awful run of seven defeats from nine Serie A games.

However, Roma are back on track after a dismal first half of the season and commenced this round only three points shy of fourth-placed Bologna. The task ahead is nothing short of Herculean, but if there was a time for the Giallorossi to halt their four-match losing streak against Inter, it’s now.

Match Preview

Inter

Fatigue could be catching up with Inter. Battles on multiple fronts have seemingly taken their toll in recent games, with Inzaghi’s side showing signs of wear and tear both physically and mentally against Bologna and Milan. Bologna’s late triumph at Renato Dall’Ara knocked the Nerazzurri down from a seven-match unbeaten league run (W5, D2).

However, they can draw heart from their imperious home form in Serie A ahead of this must-win contest. They have won their last six league matches at Meazza despite only keeping one clean sheet in that sequence. But it’s worth noting that five of those six victories came against teams starting this round in the bottom half of the table.

Nonetheless, Inzaghi’s free-scoring frontline has proved capable of offsetting all defensive shortcomings. Serie A’s most prolific attack (72) remains the only team in the division to hit a 70-goal barrier. Furthermore, Inter have netted 2+ goals in eight of their last nine home league outings, highlighting their unparalleled scoring prowess.

Roma

In contrast to Inter’s eye-catching exploits, Roma have bagged precisely one goal in their last five away league matches. However, that didn’t stop them from taking four consecutive wins in that sequence before a dramatic 1-1 draw against Lazio in the latest edition of the famous Derby della Capitale last time out.

That result forms part of Giallorossi’s jaw-dropping 17-game unbeaten streak in Serie A (W12, D5), bookended by a hard-fought 1-0 home triumph against Hellas Verona a week ago. Therefore, from the ignominy of the lower reaches in mid-December, Roma can realistically hope to secure Champions League qualification for the first time since 2018/19.

Achieving that feat will likely require Roma to explore uncharted waters down the final stretch. Ranieri’s men have failed to win any of their six away league encounters against teams starting this round in the top half of the table in 2024/25 (D4, L2). Whether they can buck that trend at Inter’s home stadium remains debatable.

For context, Roma have only won once on their seven top-flight visits to Meazza since the start of 2018 (D3, L3).

Team News

With Piotr Zielinski and Denzel Dumfries back to full training, Inter have received a double fitness boost ahead of this clash. However, Marcus Thuram remains on the sidelines, while the Nerazzurri lost Alessandro Bastoni and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to suspension against Bologna last weekend.

Meanwhile, Roma will make this journey north without talismanic forward Paulo Dybala and experienced defender Victor Nelsson. Confidence stems from Lorenzo Pellegrini’s recovery from a shoulder injury, though he should stay on the bench.

Inter vs Roma Potential Starting Line-ups

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Augusto; Zalewski, Barella, Calhanoglu, Frattesi, Dimarco; Arnautovic, Martinez.

Roma (3-5-1-1): Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Ndicka; Saelemaekers, Cristante, Paredes, Kone, Angelino; Soule; Dovbyk.

Inter vs Roma Prediction

Roma’s defensive resilience has been off the charts in 2025, with the Giallorossi conceding a league-low eight goals this calendar year. That could spoil Inter’s quest to add to their intimidating 27-goal haul in the same timeframe and ultimately scoop up three precious points.

Indeed, it’s almost impossible to overlook Roma’s incredible form under Ranieri, making us believe they can take at least a point at Meazza.