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

Vying for a place in the Coppa Italia final, Inter Milan and Como will meet for a fourth time this season when they conclude their semi-final tie on Tuesday evening.

Since the first leg finished 0-0, the pair have played out a seven-goal thriller in Serie A; now they reconvene at San Siro, where the winner will go on to meet Lazio or Atalanta in this year's decider.

Match preview

Already on course to claim the Scudetto, Inter are also seeking a rare domestic double, and only two wins separate them from lifting the Italian cup for the 10th time to date.

Without their talisman Lautaro Martinez - and with a much-changed lineup - the Nerazzurri left Como on level terms after last month's first leg, setting them up nicely for a decisive duel in Milan.

While his team came up short in Europe, Cristian Chivu's first campaign could yet end with Inter winning both league and cup for the first time since Jose Mourinho's famous treble triumph in 2010, when Chivu was still a player.

The first part is firmly in hand, as they have tightened their grip on top spot in Serie A while others slipped up; unbeaten since losing the Derby della Madonnina to old rivals AC Milan, they have recently rediscovered their spark.

After thumping Roma 5-2 and roaring back from two goals down to beat Como 4-3, Inter took another stride towards the title on Friday, as they put three past Cagliari without reply.

Including Marcus Thuram's four strikes across those three games, they have now scored 78 league goals this season, and only a huge collapse will stop them from finishing first.

With the Scudetto all but sealed, the Nerazzurri must return to their Coppa Italia campaign, having previously knocked out Venezia and Torino; after losing to Milan in last year's semis, they intend to reach Rome this season.

Following that dramatic reverse at Stadio Singaglia less than a fortnight ago, Como coach Cesc Fabregas has lost all of his league games against a club that sought to appoint him last summer.

Fabregas - who Inter unsuccessfully tried to lure away - prefers a possession-based style and has chosen to go toe-to-toe with the Nerazzurri, but that has brought four straight Serie A defeats by an 12-3 aggregate scoreline.

That sequence includes a chastening 4-0 loss at San Siro in December, but the Biancoblu had more possession and carved out the better chances - with Jacobo Ramon missing a sitter - in the first leg of this cup tie.

By comparison with their illustrious Lombardy neighbours, Como have a much more modest history, but they are currently enjoying their best top-flight campaign.

Just two years after returning to Italy's elite level, the big-spending Lariani are already vying with Juventus and Roma for one remaining seat at Europe's top table.

However, following their implosion against Inter, fading Champions League dreams suffered another setback with a 2-1 defeat to Sassuolo on Friday evening.

Having slipped out of Serie A's top four, Como will switch back to contending for their first Coppa Italia, having taken the long route to the semi-finals.

After eliminating Sudtirol and Sassuolo in the opening rounds, an away win over Fiorentina set up a tough trip to Napoli in the quarters, but they still booked their first cup semi for 40 years.

Edging a thrilling penalty shootout 7-6 took them through to meet Inter, and now just one win separates the Biancoblu from an historic cup final.

Inter Milan Coppa Italia form:

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Inter Milan form (all competitions):

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Como Coppa Italia form:

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Como form (all competitions):

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Team News

Inter captain Martinez is still sidelined by a thigh strain and will miss out once again, but his strike partner Thuram has been back in form since ending a long international drought and has just reached double figures for a third straight Serie A campaign.

The France forward - who scored twice against Como earlier this month - should partner either Ange-Yoan Bonny or Pio Esposito up front on Tuesday evening.

In addition to his skipper, Chivu could also be without Alessandro Bastoni due to an ankle injury, but fellow centre-back Yann Bisseck has resumed training and Petar Sucic can return after serving a suspension.

Like their hosts, Como also played on Friday, with Fabregas rotating his squad ahead of this cup clash.

Alvaro Morata was handed a rare start against Sassuolo, but Tasos Douvikas is likely to return in midweek, unless Fabregas opts to play star man Nico Paz as a false nine.

Regulars such as Maximo Perrone and Alex Valle may also be recalled; only Jayden Addai and Sergi Roberto are set to be sidelined by injury.

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

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

Como possible starting lineup:

Butez; Smolcic, Ramon, Kempf, Valle; Perrone, Da Cunha; Vojvoda, Paz, Baturina; Douvikas