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

Serie A's Saturday night showdown brings together second-placed Roma and a rejuvenated Inter Milan, with the latter seeking their sixth straight win.

A packed Stadio Olimpico will witness the league's best defence hosting Italy's most potent attack, as the Giallorossi look for their first home win over Inter since 2016.

Match preview

Roma have won five of their six Serie A fixtures this season - the highlight being victory over arch-rivals Lazio in the Derby della Capitale - leaving them level on 15 points at the top.

Sitting alongside Scudetto holders Napoli, they have built that success on a solid defence - conceding just two league goals so far - and only a superb Moise Kean strike beat clean-sheet specialist Mile Svilar last time out.

Despite going behind, the Giallorossi still beat Fiorentina at Stadio Franchi, winning their final game before the international break 2-1 thanks to goals from Matias Soule and Bryan Cristante.

Even considering all his feats while with Atalanta BC for most of the past decade, new boss Gian Piero Gasperini has now set a personal record for both points gained and goals conceded from the first six games of a Serie A season.

However, his team did lose to Lille in the Europa League earlier this month, and they must now take on formidable opponents who have an historical advantage.

Gasperini's worst-ever defeat came against Inter - a 7-1 thumping in March 2017 - and, like his fabled predecessor at Roma, Claudio Ranieri, his short spell as head coach of the Nerazzurri ended in failure.

Furthermore, Soule may have scored the winner when these sides last met in Milan, but the Giallorossi have not beaten Inter at Stadio Olimpico for nine years - since then, they have lost five times in eight meetings.

Indeed, Saturday's visitors have won all of the last four contests in Italy's capital; Inter have also scored in 11 straight away matches against Roma, averaging over two goals per game.

This time, they will head south in peak form, notwithstanding the interruption of an international break.

Following an emphatic 4-1 victory over Lombardy rivals Cremonese last time out, Inter are on a run of five successive wins across all competitions, including both of their first two Champions League fixtures.

With 17 goals scored in Serie A, Cristian Chivu's side are by far the league's leading scorers, and nine different players have already inked their name on the scoresheet.

Having moved up to fifth thanks to their resurgence in form, Inter can now leapfrog Roma with another win - but they still have an Achilles heel to protect.

Half the goals they have conceded this term arrived during the final 15 minutes, so Chivu will be keen to avoid shipping more against his former club.

Roma Serie A form:

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Inter Milan Serie A form:

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Team News

While Roma have proved tough to beat at the back, they are yet to impress at the other end, so Gasperini has a difficult decision to make up front.

Evan Ferguson's last goal at club level came almost one year ago, but he has scored three in the Republic of Ireland's previous four games; he must vie for selection with Artem Dovbyk, who recently got off the mark in Serie A.

The matchwinner against Inter last season, Soule has already netted three league goals, and he should meet compatriot Lautaro Martinez on Saturday.

The Inter captain has scored four times across his last three club appearances - albeit Chivu now has plenty of other options up front.

Ange-Yoan Bonny started against Cremonese and netted his second goal since arriving from Parma, while Italy striker Francesco Pio Esposito recently recorded both his first Serie A strike and his first senior international goal.

That neglects to mention Marcus Thuram, who is still struggling with a hamstring injury and is set to join Matteo Darmian (calf) on the sidelines.

Roma possible starting lineup:

Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Ndicka; Wesley, Cristante, Kone, Tsimikas; Soule, Pellegrini; Dovbyk

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Bonny, Martinez