Author: Crazy

I Nerazzurri were unfortunate to slump to just a second home defeat of the season against Atalanta on Sunday, but Al Hain-Cole expects them to get straight back to winning ways

Inter Milan will be looking to bounce back from just their second home defeat of the season when they welcome Udinese to the San Siro on Thursday.

Walter Mazzarri’s men had gone six games unbeaten prior to Sunday’s shock defeat against Atalanta and are 4/6 (1.67) favourites with William Hill to get back to winning ways tonight.

The Zebrette knocked their hosts out of the Coppa Italia with a 1-0 home at the beginning of January and are available at 15/2 (8.50) to cause them more heartbreak with a victory this evening.

The hosts have drawn three of their last six fixtures on home soil, and you can get odds of 13/5 (3.60) on them dropping another two points this evening.

The Nerazzurri could count themselves extremely unlucky to come away with nothing on Sunday, having dominated for large parts and hit the woodwork twice before coming unstuck to a last-minute goal.

Even the demanding San Siro crowd applauded their team’s efforts as they left the pitch following the final whistle, a mark of recognition for the players’ fine recent form.

Since taking over in the summer Mazzarri has slowly built a team that the supporters can get behind, a stark turnaround from a disastrous end to last season under Andrea Stramaccioni where they conceded 21 goals in their final nine fixtures.

Under the former Napoli boss a reinforced backline has now only conceded more than twice in five of their 26 games this campaign, and let in just four goals in their last seven matches, meaning they should be confident of containing an away attack that have failed to score in eight of their last 15 on the road.

However, their own tally of just eight goals scored in the last seven means tonight should make for a tight game, with odds of 4/5 (1.80) looking safe on under 2.5 goals going in for the 12th time in 15 Inter games.

Nevertheless, considering Udinese have lost 10 of their 15 away games in Serie A this season, the hosts must be backed at 5/2 (3.50) to find a way to victory in a low-scoring affair.

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Al Hain-Cole is an experienced tipster and avid follower of European football. He specialises in accumulators and if you would like to read more from Al you can follow him on Twitter here.

The Nerazzurri chief has announced the France international has decided to stay in the Premier League with his contract due to expire in the summer

Inter president Erick Thohir has confirmed that Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna has rejected a move to the Italian giants.

Sagna is out of contract in the summer and it has been revealed that the Gunners had offered the France international a new two-year deal worth £75,000 a week.

Serie A side Inter were hopeful of trumping Arsenal and convincing the defender to leave the Emirates Stadium for San Siro although the club’s owner has now revealed that he will be staying in the Premier League.

Thohir told reporters: “Sagna decided to stay in the Premier League. But it will be necessary to strengthen that area of the field. About Evra we did not have any contact.”

The Indonesian businessman claimed on Tuesday that Inter were interested in the likes of Edin Dzeko and Fernando Torres and he has again reiterated that it is that calibre of player that the Nerazzurri are looking to attract.

He added: “The media reported the names of these players and I’ve read about this. Surely the club need a player of this level.”

As for Sagna, Arsene Wenger will be hopeful that the club can now convince the Frenchman to stay put although the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City have been linked with the 31-year-old in recent days.

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Inter will seek a quick response from a rare home defeat when they welcome Udinese to San Siro on Thursday.

Walter Mazzarri’s side were beaten in a home Serie A match for just the second time this season on Sunday, losing 2-1 to in-form Atalanta.

Defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for Inter, who dominated the second half and hit the woodwork twice before Giacomo Bonaventura netted a 90th-minute winner for the visitors.

The mood at the Giuseppe Meazza is very different this season, though, and the home players were clapped off San Siro despite the defeat.

The club recorded a disastrous ninth-placed finish under Andrea Stramaccioni last term that saw them miss out on European football, but a takeover from Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir, together with Mazzarri’s expansive brand of football, has revived hopes among Inter supporters.

They sit sixth in the table – just four points behind fourth-placed Fiorentina – and defender Jonathan was upbeat despite defeat on Sunday.

“There was disappointment in the dressing room, but we were also relaxed because our fans applauded us after the final whistle,” he said.

“We know losing is part of football. In the next game, against Udinese, we hope to start out focused from the opening whistle.”

Inter midfielder Hernanes added: “Physically, we’re in good shape and ready for a fantastic end of the season.

“I’m pleased we have another game so soon [after the Atalanta loss] and we want to do our best.”

Colombian Fredy Guarin signed a new contract on Monday, a further show of faith in Thohir’s attempts to reverse Inter’s fortunes.

Mazzarri’s men were six matches unbeaten before Sunday’s setback against Atalanta and their defence has been rock-solid, giving up just four goals in their last seven outings.

Juan Jesus is available again after a three-match suspension for Inter, who are likely to recall Yuto Nagatomo to their starting line-up.

Udinese arrive in Milan off the back of a 1-0 win over Sassuolo on Sunday, a result that extended their unbeaten run at home to four league matches.

Yet Francesco Guidolin’s men have displayed poor form on the road, winning just three out of 15 Serie A away games so far this term.

Veteran striker Antonio Di Natale notched his 10th Serie A goal of the season on Sunday and continues to be the club’s most reliable threat, but Udinese – who will be without suspended defender Dusan Basta – need more from fellow forward Luis Muriel.

The two sides have already met twice this season, with Inter winning November’s reverse league meeting 3-0.

Udinese hit back with a 1-0 defeat in the last 16 of the Coppa Italia, a competition they reached the semi-finals of before losing to Fiorentina.

The Serie A club’s president has admitted the coach’s future is not 100% secure despite insisting he is happy with the Italian’s work this season

Inter president Erick Thohir has refused to give assurances that coach Walter Mazzarri will be at the helm next season.

Mazzarri was only appointed 10 months ago and although Thohir stated that he is not planning a change of coach, the 43-year-old offered no guarantee over his future, sporting director Piero Ausilio or chief executive Marco Fassone.

When asked if he could be sure that the trio will still be at the club next term, Thohir told Gazzetta dello Sport: “No, because everybody is under scrutiny. Even [Michael] Williamson [chief financial officer], who I wanted at the head of HR, finance and legal issues, is under scrutiny. It’s fair trusting everyone, but everybody has to be responsible for his actions.

“I don’t want to be misunderstood: at the moment I’m very happy with the work of the three people you mentioned. But I will keep checking up on everyone.”

Thohir has already showed his ambition by securing the signing of Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic for next season, while key duo Fredy Guarin and Rodrigo Palacio have signed new contracts.

The Indonesian businessman has made no secret of his ambition to restore the club to their former glories since his takeover back in October.

The Nerazzurri are currently sixth in the table, a mammoth 31 points behind runaway leaders Juventus, with nine matches remaining.

The Nerazzurri president insists he is ready to splash out on a new midfielder or striker this summer and says the Arsenal full-back’s destiny is in his own hands

Inter president Erick Thohir has revealed that Fernando Torres, Edin Dzeko and Bacary Sagna could all join the Nerazzurri this summer.

Torres is widely expected to be sold by Chelsea at the end of this season and is a target for Atletico Madrid, while Dzeko has been told he can leave Manchester City in search of regular first-team football abroad and Sagna, whose current contract expries this summer, has yet to commit himself to a new deal with Arsenal.

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Inter have already signalled their intent to re-model their squad for next season with the signing of Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic on a free transfer.

Club director Piero Ausilio hinted earlier this month that wage demands would make any move for Torres or Dzeko difficult, but Thohir insists he is ready to splash out on a new striker.

“We’ll go to great expense for a striker or a midfielder,” he told Gazzetta Dello Sport. “I heard the names of Torres, [Alvaro] Morata and Dzeko. It’s possible that one of them will come in.

“We like Sagna, but his future depends only on him.”

When asked if Chelsea striker Samuel Eto’o could be in line for a return to the San Siro, Thohir joked: “We need a striker who is not too young nor too old.”

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