The Lega Calcio schedule makers did not do Inter any favours when they released the 2010-2011 Serie A schedule tonight.

Inter open up defence of their Serie A crown away to perennial strugglers Bologna on August 29th. That date will probably be switched as Inter face Atletico Madrid in the European Super Cup on Aug. 27.

“We play the European Super Cup just a few days earlier so we feared a long trip. Bologna is OK,” Inter chief executive Ernesto Paolillo told the Inter website.

Inter’s first home game of the season is against Udinese on September 12th.

Inter travel to last season’s runners-up Roma in week five (Sept 26) and then host Juventus (Oct 3) in week six. Inter play AC Milan at home on Nov. 14 and again on April 3 with Juve facing Roma on the same dates.

More to follow..

If you are an Inter fan you better get your champagne bottles in a bucket of  ice as the Nerazzurri are only a game away from successfully defending their scudetto title. I don’t want to seem over confident but Inter did not come this far to see their dream of winning a historic treble crumble at the hands of Siena.

Inter travel to relegated Siena on Sunday with an aim of ending their 2009/2010 campaign with a win. The Nerazzurri’s nearest title challengers AS Roma also finish their campaign away to Chievo and they will be hoping that Inter’s opponents Siena do not ‘hand’ Jose Mourinho the title.

Apparently Roma fans are not the only paranoid lot. Although Siena have nothing to gain by winning the match, many still expect them to provide Inter with a decent challenge. These reports are emerging after Roma’s arch rivals Lazio ‘purposely’ lost to Inter 2 weeks ago to greatly dent the Giallorosso’s hopes of lifting the scudetto.

The match kick-offs at 1500hrs CET at the Artemio Franchi Montepaschi Arena on Sunday. Inter’s last five games have resulted in 4 victories and 1 draw. The Nerazzurri faced Lazio, Juventus and Fiorentina during this period and managed to win against Lazio and Juventus while they settled for a draw with Fiorentina.

Going by their run of form in the league, Inter should make light work of Siena. The white and blacks on the other hand have had a rather mixed run in their last 5 outings drawing 2, losing 2 and winning 1. Sunday’s game should therefore make for a one sided affair.

Again Balotelli is expected to start in Pandev’s place as the Macedonian International is yet to recover from his injury. Even in Pandev’s absence, Inter have proved that they are still capable of scoring goals aw was evident in last weekend’s 4-3 win over Chievo.

Some key players to look out for in the Siena side include Italian national Massimo Maccarone and Algerian Abdelkader Ghezzal. The Algerian forward was a vital part of his country’s African Cup of Nations squad and he is known to tear up defenses with his quick runs.

That said, Inter are still favourites to win this match and by extension the title. I predict a 3-0 win in favour of the Nerazzurri.

Photo credit: from dnaNerazzurro

It looks like Inter Milan will be touring the U.S. again this summer as news has came out that Inter will meet the Premier League’s Manchester City in Baltimore on July 31st. A press conference regarding the announcement is scheduled for next week. Buy Inter Milan v Manchester City Tickets

Last summer’s friendly between AC Milan and Chelsea at M&T Bank Stadium was held in front of a sold-out crowd of 71,000.

Manchester City, the richest team in football, finished in fifth place in the English Premier League. With the game coming a couple of weeks after the completion of the World Cup, there is a possibility that many of the Inter stars will be available for the tour.

Inter Milan U.S. Pre-Season Tour
July 31st. Inter Milan v Manchester City in Baltimore - Buy Inter Milan v Manchester City Tickets
Aug 5: FC Dallas v Inter Milan - Buy FC Dallas v Inter Milan Tickets
Aug 7: LA Galaxy v Inter Milan - Buy LA Galaxy v Inter Milan Tickets

Well Jose Mourinho should be feeling very confident heading into Sunday’s home game against Chievo Verona. The Nerazzurri are just two games away from successfully defending their scudetto title and after clinching the Italian Cup on Wednesday, Inter will be looking to inch even closer to winning their 2nd trophy by beating mid table Chievo.

The Gialloblu or flying donkeys are at least assured of top flight football next season even in the event of a lose. Inter on the other hand must win to have complete control of their destiny. With Roma aiming to take their title challenge down to the last match day, Inter cannot afford to take any chances on Sunday.

The Match will kick-off at 1500hrs CET at the Guiseppe Meazza stadium. The San Siro (as it is commonly referred to) has been a fortress for Inter this season. The Nerazzurri have not lost any home matches in the 09/2010 campaign and Chievo should not expect them to start on Sunday.

Once again Mourinho has a full strength squad to choose from with Pandev and Sneijder being the only doubts. With one eye focused on the May 22nd Champions League final, Mourinho will be keen on keeping his star play maker fit  to feature against the Bavarian club. Sneijder sustained a nasty injury early in their Copa Italia victory on Wednesday and had to be replaced in the 5th minute.

Chievo on the hand gained three vital points at the Artemio Franchi stadium two weeks ago when they beat Fiorentina 2-0. Their last five games have resulted in 3 loses and 2 wins but other than their shock win over Fiorentina, the Gialloblu have lost against stronger opponents in the form of Sampdoria, Palermo and more recently Napoli.

Inter are hot favourites to win Sunday’s match and i predict that they will do it in emphatic fashion beating Chievo 3-0.

Photo credit: from bonival

Roma will be hoping that their city Rivals Lazio can do them a favour and beat Inter Milan at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday to at least give them hope of winning the scudetto. The Giallorosso, who trail Inter by 2 points, travel to the Stadio Ennio Tardini tomorrow to play against Parma knowing that anything other than a win will surely end their title hopes.

After qualifying for the Champions League final for the first time since 1972, and having made it through to the Copa Italia final,the Nerazzurri are enjoying the kind of form that is only comparable to the great Inter side of the 60s.

Moreover, Sunday’s opponents Lazio should not be too difficult a team for them to beat considering that the Biancocelesti are fifth from bottom and could very well be relegated if they lose their remaining fixtures.

Inter go into Sunday’s game on the back of convincing league victories over Atalanta and Juventus bringing their tally to 3 wins out of their last 5 Serie A games. Catania and Roma are the only clubs to have beaten Inter in the Serie A this year and if your guess is as good as mine then predicting the outcome of this match will not be too hard.

Lazio on the other hand have won 2, drawn 2 and lost 1 game in their last 5 outings. However, the surprising fact is that the Biancocelesti have proved to be no pushovers and have managed to get a result from their matches against bigger clubs this year – with Roma and Sampdoria being the only clubs to beat them. They have drawn with Juventus, Fiorentina, Milan and Napoli and coach Edy Reja will draw on these experiences when he faces the defending champions.

Mourinho will not take this match lightly and will make only small changes if any to his squad. After impressing against Barcelona on Wednesday in a midfield position, Romanian international Christian Chivu could start again on Sunday with Inter’s back line of Cordoba, Samuel, Lucio and Maicon remaining unchanged. Pandev remains a doubt, however, Inter have shown that Eto’o and Milito are capable of scoring in his absence.

Lazio coach  Edy Reja is spoiled for choice up front as he looks to create a killer attack. Reja can pick from Tommaso Rocchi, Mauro Zarate and former Inter striker Julio Cruz ( in case you have been wondering where Cruz went, now you know)

Lazio will also have the support of their home crowd and this could also be another factor that plays to their advantage. Inter have not had a good record on the road especially last month when they lost twice and drew once.

That said, Inter’s current form makes them favourites to win this game. I predict a 2-1 win in favour of the Nerazzurri.

Photo credit: from ivanovash

Barcelona are looking to overturn their 2 goal deficit when they host Inter Milan tomorrow night in the return leg of their semi final Champions League fixture. The Catalans who are looking to make it to their third successive finals appearance in 4 years will however have to do more than the necessary if they are to beat the Nerazzurri.

The man behind Inter’s European ‘revival’ Jose Mourinho will again want to prove the kind genius he is when he tactically assembles his troops in the absence of play maker Wesley Sneijder. Sneijder was substituted at half time in Inter’s  3-1 win over Atalanta  on Saturday.

Medical reports say that the Dutch international pulled a muscle in his left leg and it is not clear how long he will be out. Mario Balotelli is the only other player who did not make the trip to Spain. As we all know the Italy U-21’s actions in the 1st leg not only left a bitter taste in the mouth of the fans and his coach but it also sealed his fate as he is unlikely to feature again for the Nerazzurri this season.

Buoyed by their emphatic 3-1 Home victory over Xerez on Saturday, the Catalans will be hoping to transfer that momentum into Wednesday’s cracker. Guardiola will however have to caution his side against any rush attacks as Sergio Busquet, Carles Puyol, Seydou Keita, Gerard Pique, and Dani Alves are already on yellow cards.

Iniesta still remains a doubt and Henry will be lucky to get a feel of the ball. Guardiola will use an attacking 4-3-3 formation with Messi,  Ibrahimovic and Pedro up front. Keita, Xavi, Busquets and Thiago will make up the midfield. The defense will include Skipper Puyol, Milito, Alves and either Maxwell or Abidal. Mexican international Victor Valdez will be in goal.

Inter should have Samuel Eto’o, Diego Milito, Marco Materazzi, Dejan Stankovic all available for this match. However, it is likely that defender Maicon might not feature after losing his tooth in the most unusual of ways in the 1st leg at the San Siro. Mourinho will not be going to Barcelona to play for a draw.

With his players performing exceptionally well in the league, the Portuguese will expect a repeat performance of their Saturday game. I predict a 2-2 draw with Inter progressing through to the finals on an aggregate win of 5-4.

Photo credit: from FCB19

Inter should bag all the three points tomorrow when they face lowly Atalanta at the San Siro. With 4 games left to play, the Nerazzurri are 1 point behind leaders Roma who host 4th place Sampdoria at the Stadio Olimpico. All eyes will be on the Roma – Sampdoria fixture as any slip ups might very well end their title hopes.

Fresh from a 3-1 routing of Barcelona on Tuesday, ( brace yourselves because you will be hearing this for the rest of the season), Inter Milan should make light work of Atalanta. However, the Nerazzurri should be wary of underestimating the Orobici.

Atalanta defeated Fiorentina 2-1 last weekend to improve their chances of staying in the Serie A next season. Inter on the other hand are riding high after beating Juventus and Barcelona. Jose Mourinho’s three man attack that includes Eto’o, Milito and Pandev has finally clicked and Atalanta should prepare themselves for a tough fixture.

Here are a little stats to give you an overview of the match. Inter have won their last 24 games. Atalanta have been win less in their last 10 consecutive away games. When priced as the underdogs, Atalanta have failed to win 13 times – tomorrow’s match won’t be an exception. So as you can see, Atalanta are definitely up against it.

Mourinho will field a largely unchanged side while his opposite number Bortolo Mutti will be encouraged by the return of Ernesto Chevanton and Maximiliano Pellegrino. Mutti who has warned Inter that his side are not just making the numbers in the Serie A, will be heading to Milan with one aim on his mind, winning.

Atalanta does not stand a chance against Inter and i see the Nerazzzurri giving their fans another fabulous display of football to win the tie 3-1.

Fresh from a convincing 2-0 win over Juventus on Friday coupled with Barcelona’s subsequent barren draw against city rivals Espanyol on Saturday, the Nerazzurri are hot favourites to win tomorrow’s first leg Champions League semi final tie at the Guiseppe Meazza stadium.

Perennial danger man Samuel Eto’o seems to have found his scoring boots and Mourinho will be counting on him to deliver the goods. The Cameroonian international is enjoying an amazing return to form and he will be one of Barca’s biggest problem’s. Yes one of the problems.

Judging by Friday’s performance, Barcelona will have a problem containing Inter’s midfield. Dejan Stankovic, was another player who impressed and Barca should watch out for him. Attack wise, Inter are on point! Eto’o and Milito should spearhead the attack with Mourinho opting to use Pandev or Balotelli as a third attack option.

Barcelona will be boosted by the return of Eric Abidal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic although Iniesta is still a doubt. It will be a second re-union for old boy Ibra as he takes to the San Siro pitch for only the second time since his controversial swap deal which saw Samuel Eto’o go in the opposite direction.

Again we cannot rule out the Messi factor. Right now Messi is Barca’s pointman. The Argentine international has scored more than 30 goals in all competitions and he is expected to lead the Catalans attack. Another youngster who has also impressed this season is Pedro Rodrigues. In fact, Guardiola has so much faith in him that he currently prefers him to former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry.

I expect Barcelona to play their traditional attacking football with a 3 man attack consisting of Messi, Ibrahimovic and Pedro. However, with the likes of Zanetti, Lucio, Samuel and Maicon, Inter’s defense should be more than able to deal with this threat. I am sure you have heard of the volcanic eruptions that occurred in Iceland last Wednesday, spewing ash over Europe’s air space that has rendered flying impossible. Well, this might have an effect on tomorrow’s match as the Barcelona squad were forced to travel by bus to Milan.

Inter will have a full strength squad for this match with Chivu being the only notable absentee. Mourinho will once again use his tactical expertise to create his squad. Guardiola on the other hand will have to counter Mourinho’s formation and bring more players into the game. Inter have already identified Messi as their main problem and if Guardiola can shift focus to the likes of Xavi and Keita then may be he can spring a surprise on Inter. My prediction, 2-1 in favour of Inter.

Photo credit: from rikiriki2008

Tonight Inter Milan welcome Juventus to the San Siro for an exciting Serie A fixture that could restore their scudetto hopes. Inter who have never lost a home game since Jose Mourinho took over almost 2 years ago, will go into this match with one eye fixed on next weeks Champions League semi final fixture against Barcelona.

This is a must win game for both sides. Juventus need to win this game if they are to keep their Champions League dream alive while Inter know that any slip ups can effectively end their title ambitions. Juventus coach Alberto Zaccheroni has maintained that he is only looking to avoid defeat. Of course beating Inter is something that will be quite difficult for the Bianconeri.

Not only are they struggling in the league, but Juventus is also facing tough times trying to convince some of its players to stay with the club. To make things even worse, recent media reports have identified Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez an heir to succeed Zaccheroni. This will definitely unsettle both the players and the technical bench.

Inter on the other hand have problems of their own. The Nerazzurri know that Juventus were the last team to beat them at the San Siro and they won’t want history to repeat itself. This will be Jose Mourinho’s 100th match in charge of Inter and he won’t take anything other than a victory to well. Even a draw won’t be enough as it will set Roma up for a golden opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the serie A table to 3 points with only 4 games left to play.

The only worry for Mourinho is Christian Chivu who is suspended while midfielder Dejan Stankovic who is carrying a knock is expected to start from the bench. Otherwise Inter are a full squad. With the Barcelona fixture expected to be a cracker, Mourinho might make slight changes in a bid to keep his key players ready for this clash. Up front i would expect to see Pandev and Balotelli partnering in attack with Milito while Cameroonian international Eto’o will feature as a late substitute.

Juventus will be boosted with the news of Diego’s return from injury. However, David Trezeguet, Antonio Chimenti, Zdenek Grygera and Sebastian Giovinco are all out. I predict a slender 1-0 win for Inter. That should be more than enough to keep the pressure on Roma.

Well, both these teams square it out tonight at the Stadio Artemio Franchi  in the final of the Coppa Italia. Inter Carry a 1-0 advantage to this game although that is not sufficient enough to guarantee them a spot in the final. Judging by Saturday’s result, Jose Mourinho will this time want to make sure his boys can capitalise on all the chances they create.

Mourinho who was openly annoyed with Inter’s draw, knows that he cannot afford to underestimate the Viola. Fiorentina lost the first leg of this match at San Siro 1-0 however, they will have been boosted by Saturday’s performance. Inter on the other hand are still in the hunt for winning the ever elusive treble.

Losing out in this competition might not derail the Nerazzurri’s ambitions in the league and the Champions League however, it will greatly deflate their morale ahead of fixtures with Juventus, Barclona and Lazio.

With these upcoming matches, it expected that Jose Mourinho will not use his regular players as he looks to keep them safe and ready for the “bigger fish”. Inter’s probable line up playing in a 4-3-2-1 formation: Toldo, Maicon, Lucio, Materazzi, Chivu; Zanetti, Cambiasso; Sneijder; Balotelli, Milito, Pandev.

Fiorentina on the other hand will use a 4-4-1-1 formation with:Frey, De Silvestri, Felipe, Kroldrup, Pasqual; Santana, Donadel, Montolivo, Gobbi; Jovetic; Gilardino. It seems like my predictions never come true however, i see Inter losing this one 2-0.

Photo credit: from Yoggy_Pradita