Sinisa Mihajlovic and Walter Mazzarri face their former club and it’s the Wanda Nara grudge match, Sampdoria–Inter” data-scaytid=”5″>Sampdoria-Inter.
Sinisa Mihajlovic and Walter Mazzarri face their former club and it’s the Wanda Nara grudge match, Sampdoria-Inter.
It kicks off at Marassi at 14.00 UK time (13.00 GMT), click here for a match preview.
This fixture has a huge number of stories running through it, as Mihajlovic is a former Inter star and assistant manager to Roberto Mancini, while Mazzarri took Samp into Champions League spots.
Perhaps the most intriguing battle will be on the field between Maxi Lopez and Mauro Icardi.
They were teammates at Sampdoria and great friends, going on vacation together, but a few months ago Lopez’s wife Wanda Nara left him to move in with Inter striker Icardi and they have been trading barbs ever since.
As for the football, the Blucerchiati are without Manolo Gabbiadini and Gaetano Berardi, so Maxi Lopez starts with Gianluca Sansone and Eder.
Mihajlovic won’t be able to shout from the touchline, as he sits out a ban, but he responded to last week’s defeat at Lazio” data-scaytid=”30″>Lazio by cancelling the team’s day off and scheduling a 7.30 am training session.
Inter need a boost and yesterday the Curva Nord ultras attended training, demanding the team “prove you deserve our support.”
Juan Jesus and Jonathan are out of action, but Icardi is partnered by Rodrigo Palacio with Mateo Kovacic making a rare start in midfield.
Sampdoria: 1 Da Costa; 29 De Silvestri, 8 Mustafi, 28 Gastaldello, 19 Regini; 21 Soriano, 17 Palombo, 14 Obiang; 12 Sansone, 7 Maxi Lopez, 23 Eder
Sampdoria bench: 30 Fiorillo, 3 Costa, 4 Salamon, 44 Fornasier, 5 Renan, 77 Sesti, 22 Bjarnason, 31 Lombardo, 10 Krsticic, 5 Wszolek, 6 M. Rodriguez, 9 Okaka
Inter: 1 Handanovic; 23 Ranocchia, 25 Samuel, 35 Rolando; 33 D'Ambrosio, 88 Hernanes, 19 Cambiasso, 10 Kovacic, 55 Nagatomo; 9 Icardi, 8 Palacio
Inter bench: 12 Castellazzi, 30 Carrizo, 4 Zanetti, 6 Andreolli, 14 Campagnaro, 11 Alvarez, 13 Guarin, 17 Kuzmanovic, 21 Taider, 20 Botta, 22 Milito