Preview: Fiorentina vs Inter Milan - prediction, team news, lineups

Heading into the home straight, Serie A leaders Inter Milan aim to take another stride towards the Scudetto when they visit relegation-threatened Fiorentina on Sunday.

Inter will set off for Stadio Franchi amid a troubling run of results, but they remain favourites to claim the Italian title.

Match preview

Despite defeat in the recent Derby della Madonnina, Inter have stayed well clear of arch-rivals AC Milan at the top of the Serie A standings, as the Rossoneri subsequently slipped up against Lazio.

Yet, Cristian Chivu may be concerned about his team's loss of momentum since beating Juventus in another thrilling Derby d'Italia.

Back-to-back defeats against Bodo/Glimt sent them crashing out of the Champions League, before they beat Genoa then lost to Milan, and Chivu's side were denied by a late leveller last weekend.

After their 1-1 draw against Lombardy rivals Atalanta, Inter face the prospect of going three league games without a win for the first time in a single season since April 2023.

Even so, they remain in the hunt for a rare domestic double, with their Coppa Italia semi-final tie against Como set to be concluded next month.

Before international football intervenes, the Nerazzurri now visit one of their favourite opponents, having won 10 - and lost just two - of their last 17 league games against Fiorentina.

Though that grim run features a 3-0 away defeat in October, Fiorentina did memorably win the most recent meeting at Stadio Franchi by the same scoreline, having failed to prevail in any of the previous seven.

The Tuscan club come into this contest fresh from a midweek victory in their 50th Conference League fixture - the most of any team since the competition's inception - as the two-time runners-up reached this year's quarter-finals.

Leading 2-1 from the home leg, Paolo Vanoli's side repeated that result on Thursday evening, knocking out Rakow Czestochowa to book a last-eight clash with Crystal Palace.

With Rakow looking to force extra time by bringing their goalkeeper forward for a late corner, substitute defender Marin Pongracic outrageously scored from inside his own half to cap a fine night for the Viola in Poland.

While enjoying another deep run in UEFA's third-tier competition, Fiorentina still face a springtime fight for Serie A survival.

Beating fellow strugglers Cremonese 4-1 on Monday moved them four points clear of the drop zone, as Dodo spectacularly ended his long goal drought and Albert Gudmundsson finished a slick team move by picking out the top corner.

Now inching away from danger, a tally of 19 points from 12 matches this calendar year would put them seventh in the 2026 table, with just one loss from their last seven home games.

Fiorentina Serie A form:

D W W L D W

Fiorentina form (all competitions):

L L D W W W

Inter Milan Serie A form:

W W W W L D

Inter Milan form (all competitions):

W L W D L D

Team News

While Alessandro Bastoni and Hakan Calhanoglu are both set to return, Inter's injury list is still headlined by captain Lautaro Martinez, who leads the way in Serie A's Capocannoniere rankings with 14 league goals.

The Nerazzurri have won 77% of games this year when 'El Toro' has played; without him, their win rate drops by 44% and they average 1.4 fewer goals.

With Martinez ruled out, Chivu will choose two from reported Arsenal target Francesco Pio Esposito - who scored the opener against Atalanta - Marcus Thuram and Ange-Yoan Bonny.

Meanwhile, Moise Kean could lead the line for Fiorentina, after overcoming a persistent shin problem to start against Rakow on Thursday.

Seven of the Italy forward's eight Serie A strikes this term have come at Stadio Franchi, where he averages a goal every 116 minutes dating back to the start of last season.

Roberto Piccoli has recently found some form and will push Kean hard for selection, while regulars such as Pongracic, Gudmundsson, David de Gea and ex-Inter man Robin Gosens should all return to the starting XI.

Luca Lezzerini, Nicolo Fortini and Manor Solomon are still in the hosts' treatment room, alongside long-term absentee Tariq Lamptey.

Fiorentina possible starting lineup:

De Gea; Dodo, Pongracic, Ranieri, Gosens; Mandragora, Fagioli; Parisi, Brescianini, Gudmundsson; Kean

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

Sommer; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Thuram, Esposito

We say: Fiorentina 1-2 Inter Milan

Despite experiencing very different seasons, Serie A strugglers Fiorentina are actually in better form than league leaders Inter.

While that may give them hope of a rare success in this fixture, the Nerazzurri have had a full week to rest and should be primed to get back on track.

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