Inter Milan will kick off their Serie A title defense this weekend with a trip to Genoa, aiming for a strong start in their quest to become the first team to retain the Scudetto since Juventus in 2020.
Juventus’ streak of nine consecutive league titles was followed by a period of unpredictability in the Italian top flight, with Inter, AC Milan, and Napoli all claiming the championship. Now, Inter is looking to establish their own dominance.
To do so, Inter will hope to replicate their impressive start from last season, when they won their first five matches and surged to the top of the table.
They benefit from continuity, with Simone Inzaghi remaining as manager, while their main rivals have all appointed new coaches. AC Milan have brought in Paulo Fonseca, Juventus have Thiago Motta, and Antonio Conte is back at Napoli.
In the transfer market, Inter has been relatively quiet, focusing primarily on free transfers, including Polish midfielder Piotr Zielinski and Iranian forward Mehdi Taremi. However, Zielinski is sidelined due to injury and will miss the opening games, while Taremi is expected to be on the bench for the trip to Genoa, providing a potential rest option for Lautaro Martinez after his Copa America success with Argentina.
Last season, Inter drew 1-1 with Genoa in December, and Genoa’s manager, Alberto Gilardino, will be hoping for a repeat performance. Genoa, who were newly promoted last season, managed a respectable 11th-place finish but face a tougher challenge this year. Avoiding relegation will be their primary goal.
Genoa could struggle to score against Inter due to several forwards being unavailable, including the loss of striker Mateo Retegui to Atalanta. Vitinha is likely to start, as Gilardino will be without Caleb Ekuban and David Ankeye, and top scorer Albert Gudmundsson may also be missing due to ongoing transfer speculation.
In other Serie A action, AC Milan will begin their campaign under Paulo Fonseca with a home match against Torino on Saturday, featuring new signing Alvaro Morata, who will lead the attack following his successful stint as Spain’s captain in Euro 2024.
Motta impressed at Bologna last season, leading them to a top-five finish and Champions League football, but the pressure will be much greater at Juventus.
It should be an interesting start for the new man as his side host newly promoted Como on Monday, a team managed by Cesc Fabregas.
Como have been busy in the transfer market bringing in Spanish keeper Pepe Reina and his compatriot, defender Alberto Moreno, along with striker Andrea Belotti.
Napoli will look to bounce back from their dismal attempt to defend their title last season, when they finished 10th , and life under Conte begins at Hellas Verona on Sunday.
