Preview: Salernitana vs. Inter Milan - prediction, team news, lineups

Inter Milan will be bidding to record a sixth straight Serie A victory when they continue their league campaign away to struggling Salernitana on Friday night.

The reigning Italian champions are currently top of the pile, one point clear of second-placed AC Milan, while Salernitana sit bottom of the division, having picked up just eight points from 17 matches.

Match preview

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Salernitana finished second in Serie B last season behind Empoli to secure a return to the top flight, and there is no getting away from the fact that it has been a tough campaign to date for the promoted club.

Indeed, I Granata have won two, drawn two and lost 13 of their 17 league matches this season to collect eight points, which has left them bottom of the pile, four points from the safety of 17th position.

Stefano Colantuono's side have lost each of their last four games in all competitions, including a 1-0 defeat to Genoa in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday night.

Salernitana have been beaten in six of their last seven league matches, meanwhile, losing each of their last three against Juventus, AC Milan and Fiorentina without scoring a single goal.

The strugglers now have another incredibly tough fixture against the reigning Italian champions before travelling to Udinese on December 21, and they will certainly be wary of entering the winter break at the bottom of the table.

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Inter, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their last nine Serie A matches, recording seven wins in the process, while they have been victorious in each of their last five league games.

Simone Inzaghi's side thumped Cagliari 4-0 on December 12, while they have actually won their last four against Venezia, Spezia, Roma and Cagliari without conceding a single goal.

Inter did suffer a 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League on December 7, but they had already qualified for the knockout round of the competition leading into that fixture, and the club have been paired with Liverpool in the last-16 stage of the European Cup.

A record of 12 wins, four draws and one defeat from 17 matches has seen Inzaghi's team collect 40 points, which has left them top of the table, one point clear of bitter rivals AC Milan; it is so tight at the summit, though, with Napoli in fourth only four points off the lead at this stage.

I Nerazzurri lost Antonio Conte as head coach over the summer and also sold goal machine Romelu Lukaku, but the winning has continued for the Black and Blues, who are bidding to secure back-to-back Serie A titles for the first time since 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Team News

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Salernitana will be without the services of Leonardo Capezzi, Stefan Strandberg, Cedric Gondo, Antonio Russo and Matteo Ruggeri for Friday's contest through injury.

The starting side is expected to be similar to the one that took to the field against Fiorentina last weekend, with Franck Ribery again supporting Simeon Nwankwo in the final third of the field.

Head coach Colantuono rung the changes against Genoa in the Coppa Italia, but it will be a more familiar lineup on Friday, with Joel Obi and Lassana Coulibaly among those returning.

As for Inter, Joaquin Correa, Matteo Darmian and Christian Eriksen remain unavailable for selection, but the visitors are otherwise in good shape heading into the match.

Edin Dzeko was rested against Cagliari last time out, with Alexis Sanchez featuring alongside Lautaro Martinez, who scored twice in the four-goal victory at San Siro.

Sanchez also netted in the impressive win, but Dzeko should be back in the side here, while Ivan Perisic and Denzel Dumfries are set to continue in the wing-back areas for the league leaders.

Salernitana possible starting lineup:

Belec; Veseli, Gyomber, Bogdan, Ranieri; Kechrida, Kastanos, Obi, Coulibaly; Ribery; Nwankwo

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

Handanovic; Skriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Perisic; Martinez, Dzeko

We say: Salernitana 0-2 Inter Milan

Salernitana will be desperate to give their supporters something to cheer on Friday night, but we are finding it very difficult to back the hosts in this match. Inter are on a roll at the moment, and this fixture looks to be a relatively straightforward three points for the Italian champions.