19 August 2021, 17:29 | 28 August 2021, 15:29
Italian Serie A fixture, Inter Milan vs. Genoa C.F.C. kicks off at 17:30 (GMT+1) on Saturday, August 21 at the San Siro.
Preview Inter Serie A, Aug 21, 2021
Preview This weekend, Serie A champions Inter Milan begin life without Antonio Conte. Due to the financial troubles at the club and the inability to keep several key players, the 52-year-old Italian coach parted ways with the club. The reigning champions have since lost several players, - most notably, their focal point in attack, Romelu Lukaku. Days ago, the Belgian completed the summer switch back to Chelsea for a fee of €115M. In what appeared to be a mass exodus of key players from the club, Achraf Hakimi also departed for PSG for a fee of €60M while €19M exchanged hands to see Matteo Politano join Napoli. However, Inter made smart replacements. - Bringing in the likes of veteran striker, Edin Dzeko from Roma on a free transfer to fill the huge void Lukaku left behind. They also convinced former Milan player, Hakan Calhanoglu to transform from a red & black devil to a blue serpent on a similar arrangement. Inter brought in Denzel Dumfries who had a decent outing at Euro 2020 for a fee of €12.5M while a new contract is currently being negotiated with Lautaro Martinez. Following the departure of Antonio Conte, former coach of SS Lazio Simone Inzaghi slipped into the coaching seat after spending five years with Lazio. On Saturday, he would be looking to get Inter’s campaign off to a flying start when he makes his Serie A debut as coach of the club. Inzaghi is expected to adopt a 3—5—2 formation for this game which could see Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez form a new striking partnership upfront.
Preview Genoa Serie A, Aug 21, 2021
Preview Meanwhile, Genoa had an impressive run in the Italian league last season, picking up 42 points and finishing in 11th place on the table. Genoa would be eyeing another fine season and possibly a top-ten finish. The Rossoblù made reinforcements to the squad ahead of the new season. Veteran goalkeeper, Salvatore Sirigu joined the team on a free transfer from Torino. They also added a forward, Caleb Ekuban to the squad. Coach Davide Ballardini and his men are going to start the season with the difficult task of claiming their first few points from the Serie A champions. A fluid 3—5—2 formation aimed at balancing attack with defense is anticipated. Ekuban and Flavio Bianchi may be seen leading the attack once again. Ex-inter Milan players, Goran Pandev and Valon Behrami are suspended for this fixture.