The only previous encounter between these two coaches saw Andrea Stramaccioni's Inter overcome Vincenzo Montella's Fiorentina 2-1 at the San Siro on 30 September 2012.

Vincenzo Montella is meeting Inter for the sixth time in his coaching career, his record standing at W1, D2, L2. The Nerazzurri scored in all five of those games, seven goals in all. As a player, Montella faced Inter 19 times in competitive fixtures (17 in Serie A and two in the Coppa Italia). He ended up on the winning side on four occasions, drawing six times and losing nine. Montella put the ball past Nerazzurri keepers 12 times in those 19 games, making Inter his joint favourite target along with Fiorentina.

Andrea Stramaccioni is unbeaten in his only two previous matches against Fiorentina, having registered one win and one draw.

Fiorentina and Inter have squared up in Florence 80 times before today. The hosts have claimed victory on 28 occasions, Inter 18 times and there have been 34 draws.

Fiorentina have managed a single victory over Inter in these two sides' last 22 meetings: on 8 February 2006 the Viola made home advantage count to win 2-1 at the Franchi. In the other 21 games in this period, there have been 17 Nerazzurri triumphs and four draws. There have been 15 competitive fixtures played since the Viola's last victory, with 12 Inter wins and three draws.

Inter are one of only two sides (the other being Roma) yet to play out a goalless stalemate in the 2012/13 Serie A campaign. The Nerazzurri's last 0-0 came 29 league matches ago on 22 April 2012 - away to Fiorentina!

Esteban Cambiasso has scored more goals against Fiorentina than any other team since arriving in Italy: five of his 47 total strikes have come against the Viola.

Nicola Rizzoli from the Bologna section is to oversee proceedings this evening. Fiorentina's record with this referee reads W6, D8, L9 while Inter's is W17, D4, L6.

Inter's last win away from home was on 8 November, when they beat Partizan Belgrade 1-3 in Serbia in the Europa League group stage. In the eight matches played away from the Meazza since then, the Nerazzurri have drawn just one (1-1 at Roma in Serie A, 20 January) and lost the other seven. Inter have also conceded at least once in each of their last 11 away trips, shipping in 20 goals in the process. The last time they kept a clean sheet in an away fixture was on 7 October, when they beat AC Milan 0-1 in Serie A.

FLORENCE – Inter struggled and let in four goals without being able to react against Fiorentina, who dominated at home. Jovetic and Ljajic had a brace a piece.

The Viola came out swinging at the opening whistle and after 13 minutes were already ahead when Pasqual crossed from the left: Jovetic failed to get a clean touch on the ball but Ljajic made no such mistake and headed past Handanovic. Fiorentina kept pushing but the big Nerazzurri keeper was keeping his team in the game with some important saves.  But then twenty minutes later yet another attack from the home side ended as a goal, this time with Jovetic’s right-footed curler beating Handanovic at the far post.

Ten minutes after the restart it was 3-0: after a poor clearance by the defence Jovetic placed Aquilani’s lovely back-heeled assist in the back of the net. Moments before the goal however, Pizarro had challenged Guarin and used his arm to control the ball, although this went unpunished by the referee. On 65 minutes Ljajic notched his second with a bending right-footer from the edge of the box. Then in the 87th minute a pile driver from Cassano put the Nerazzurri on the score sheet. Thus Fiorentina v Inter ended 4-1, and the Nerazzurri remain with 43 points in the standings, with the Viola now just one point behind them.  

Fiorentina 4-1 Inter (HT: 2-0)
Scorers: Ljajic 13, 65, Jovetic 33, 55, Cassano 87.

Fiorentina: 1 Viviano; 40 Tomovic, 2 Gonzalo, 15 Savic; 11 Cuadrado (Llama 83), 10 Aquilani, 7 Pizarro (Sissoko 69), 20 Borja Valero, 23 Pasqual; 22 Ljajic, 8 Jovetic (El Hamdaoui 73).
Unused subs: 89 Neto, 4 Roncaglia, 5 Compper, 12 Lupatelli, 18 Larrondo, 21 Migliaccio, 27 Wolski, 30 Toni, 92 Romulo.
Coach: Vincenzo Montella.

Inter: 1 Handanovic; 4 Zanetti, 23 Ranocchia, 40 Juan Jesus, 55 Nagatomo; 19 Cambiasso, 17 Kuzmanovic, 10 Kovacic (Alvarez 46); 14 Guarin (Pereira 58); 99 Cassano, 8 Palacio (Schelotto 76).
Unused subs: 27 Belec, 30 Carrizo, 6 Silvestre, 18 Rocchi, 21 Gargano, 24 Benassi, 42 Jonathan, 47 Colombi.
Coach: Andrea Stramaccioni.

Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Bologna).

Booked: Pasqual 27, Pizarro 37, Ranocchia 47, Guarin 56, Juan Jesus 59, Pereira 67, Savic 71.
Added time: 0 + 2 minutes. 

starting lineups

substitutes