Cagliari – Inter

In a match between an outsider and a tired favourite, don’t expect many goals

Inter won the Italian Cup on Wednesday. The Milan side were able to beat Juventus, but only in extra time. The final result of 2-4, although pleasing to Inter fans, exhausted the team physically. The big battle lies ahead for Simone Inzaghi's side as they continue their fight for the Scudetto. Last weekend, the Nerazzurri had problems beating Empoli. The opponents enjoyed a two-goal lead until 30 minutes into the match. Thanks to the efforts of Martinez and Sanchez, Milan's deficit remained unchanged at two points. If not for the defeat by Bologna, Inter would have been the clear favourites to clinch the title. Their last matchday tie against Sampdoria is hardly a difficult calendar. Nevertheless, it will now be complicated by a high density of games. It is worth noting that the Milan side's away results have been a little lacklustre. In 18 away games, the team have scored 33 goals (on average less than two per game) and conceded just 15. Cagliari retain their chances of finishing outside the relegation zone. Last round, the Islanders shared points in a face-off with Salernitana, which, however, did not improve their position. But without a 90+8th (!) minute goal from Altare, Alessandro Agostin's side would not have got more than a point. Yes, the club did fire Walter Mazzarri before last week's encounter. The problem for Cagliari is that if Salernitana beat Empoli and the Islanders themselves do not beat Inter, the results of the last round match will not matter. Of course, the team will have an overwhelming motivation, but that is not always enough. Inter spent too much energy on the cup final and the previous round matches. Nonetheless, a win is more important than anything for Inter. Cagliari prefer to play Salernitana but they will be looking to pick up some points at this meeting as well. The concept of scoring points for these teams is to play defensively and look for one single chance. Given Inter's fatigue and, consequently, their lack of mobility, this could well be the case. In any case, we can hardly expect many goals in this match.