Preview: Hellas Verona vs. Inter Milan – prediction, team news, lineups

At the end of a remarkable Scudetto-winning season, Inter Milan play their final game on Sunday, when Hellas Verona play host to the Italian champions at Stadio Bentegodi.

While Inter streaked clear to a 20th title and now lead city rivals AC Milan by some 18 points, Verona can celebrate securing their Serie A status after winning earlier this week.

Match preview

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Though last week’s 1-1 draw with Lazio means they can no longer set a new club points record, Inter have proved far too good for the rest of Italy’s elite this season, brushing their nearest rivals aside while losing just twice in the league.

With 93 points on the board so far, Simone Inzaghi‘s side can still go third on Serie A’s all-time points list (when adjusted to three points for a win): victory on Sunday evening would take them above Torino’s class of 1948.

Denzel Dumfries was on target to score Inter’s 87th league goal last time out, and for a fifth straight season they have racked up a century across all competitions; at the other end, they have kept no fewer than 21 clean sheets.

One more shutout would see them tie the Serie A record currently held by their two main rivals Milan and Juventus, so there is something left to play for in statistical terms, even if the title was wrapped up as long ago as April’s Derby della Madonnina.

The only setbacks in the Nerazzurri’s spellbinding season were failing to either defend the Coppa Italia or build on last year’s Champions League final appearance, and Inzaghi may already be targeting a treble for next term.

First, though, Inter will aim to sign off in style by continuing their long dominance over Verona: in addition to winning seven straight Serie A matches against Sunday’s hosts – including January’s reverse fixture – they have posted nine wins and three draws from their last 12 visits to Stadio Bentegodi.

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Such has been their submission to Inter down the years, that Verona have conceded goals in all of the clubs’ last 25 top-flight meetings, most recently keeping a clean sheet against the Nerazzurri way back in February 1992.

Win, lose or draw this weekend, Hellas will have good reason to join their visitors in a party mood, as they put the full stop on an unlikely comeback from probable relegation by taking maximum points on Monday evening.

First-half strikes from Tomas Suslov and Michael Folorunsho – the latter of whom was subsequently named in Italy’s provisional squad for Euro 2024 – put Marco Baroni‘s boys in charge at Stadio Arechi, where they ultimately ran out 2-1 winners over already-doomed Salernitana.

As a result, Verona have avoided demotion for a fifth straight season, and having only escaped via a playoff this time last year, they can now afford to relax a little on Serie A’s final matchday.

With help from some frantic mid-season trading, Baroni has impressively turned things around at the Bentegodi, as his side gained 19 points after the winter transfer window slid shut – more than any other team in the bottom half of the standings.

Hellas Verona Serie A form:

Inter Milan Serie A form:

Team News

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As Francesco Acerbi returned to the team for last week’s draw with his former club Lazio, Inter should have a fully-fit squad for their final match of 2023-24.

Simone Inzaghi could therefore offer some fringe players an opportunity to start, but captain Lautaro Martinez will be determined to keep his place, having scored six Serie A goals versus Verona to date – including at least one in his last four league games against them.

Indeed, the Capocannoniere favourite – who leads nearest rival Dusan Vlahovic by eight goals – has also found the net 15 times on the road this term; one more would set a new club record.

Meanwhile, a striker with a rather more modest record, Thomas Henry, is still suspended following his spectacular display of dissent at the end of Verona’s recent defeat to Torino; midfield mainstay Ondrej Duda must also serve a ban this weekend.

Juan Cruz again misses out with a thigh injury, and Marco Baroni has also ruled out Michael Folorunsho, Karol Swiderski and first-choice goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo.

Set to start in support of lone frontman Federico Bonazzoli, Serbia international Darko Lazovic is the only Serie A midfielder that has both scored at least twice and provided at least two assists since the start of April.

Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Perilli; Centonze, Coppola, Dawidowicz, Cabal; Serdar, Silva; Noslin, Suslov, Lazovic; Bonazzoli

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Audero; Bisseck, Acerbi, Augusto; Dumfries, Barella, Asllani, Frattesi, Dimarco; Thuram, Arnautovic

We say: Hellas Verona 1-3 Inter Milan

In the final fixture of a stellar Serie A season, Inter can post their 30th league victory and cap off a memorable campaign in suitable style.

Verona have steadily improved over the past few months, but they may drop their levels after confirming top-flight survival, and any number of players in the champions’ deep squad can clinically punish them.

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