Inter vs. Fiorentina: stats and trivia

MILAN – There’s not long left until the Nerazzurri’s first competitive match of the 2020/21 season. Inter’s first opponents will be Iachini’s Fiorentina, who come into the game on the back of a win against Torino. These are all the facts and figures that you need to know ahead of the match, which will kick off at 20:45 CEST on Saturday 26 September at San Siro.

Inter and Fiorentina are set to face each other two months on from their last encounter, which finished in a goalless draw on 22 July 2020. Last season, the two teams played each other three times (two draws in the league and a win for the Nerazzurri in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals).

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS

Inter and Fiorentina have come up against each other 164 times in Serie A, with the Nerazzurri’s record against the Viola reading as follows: 66 wins, 54 draws and 44 defeats. Inter have been the home side on 82 occasions, winning 48, drawing 19 and losing 15 of these encounters. The Nerazzurri are unbeaten in six matches against Fiorentina in Serie A (W2, D4): Inter’s last defeat against the Viola came in April 2017, when the home side won 5-4 at the Franchi.

Inter are the team that Fiorentina have played the most matches against in the Italian top flight (164). On each of the three occasions that they have started their league campaign against the Viola, the Nerazzurri have scored three goals and remained unbeaten (W2, D1).

STATE OF PLAY

Inter found the net 113 times in all competitions in 2019/20. Taking into account league and cup competitions, this represents a record for the Nerazzurri since Serie A started to use a round-robin format (from 1929/30).  Conte’s team ended last season with four consecutive clean sheets, the first of which came against Fiorentina. The last time that the Nerazzurri kept the opposition out for more consecutive games in Serie A was in April 2018 (five). Meanwhile, Fiorentina’s league campaign finished with three successive victories.

GENERAL STATISTICS

A threat up front and organised in defence. Taking account the Top 5 European leagues, Inter are the team that scored the most headed goals (26) in all competitions in 2019/20. Furthermore, the Nerazzurri had 18 different goalscorers in the league last term, more than any other side. While Inter finished the Serie A season with the best defence last year, the Viola were also very solid in the post-lockdown period. Fiorentina started the 2020/21 campaign as the team that conceded the fewest shots (six, level with Napoli), while they also attempted the most crosses on matchday one (17).

PLAYER FOCUS

When it comes to the first fixture of the season, Romelu Lukaku has scored three goals in the last three years in the Premier League and then Serie A. Last year, the Belgian scored 35% of his goals in home matches (8/23). Inter’s first goal of the 2019/20 campaign came through Marcelo Brozovic, who opened the scoring against Lecce.

Taking into account the Top 5 European leagues, no player has scored more goals than Arturo Vidal under Antonio Conte’s management (28, level with Eden Hazard). The new Nerazzurri signing and Alexis Sánchez have been reunited 13 years on from when they played together at Colo-Colo. The duo have won two Copa América titles together with Chile (in 2015 and 2016).

After the restart in June, Alexis Sánchez provided seven assists in Serie A, with only Calhanoglu (eight) doing better in this regard over the same period.

Lautaro Martínez is yet to score against Fiorentina in three matches in the Italian top flight. Roma (four) are the only team the Argentine has faced more times without getting on the scoresheet.

Achraf Hakimi was the second youngest player to provide at least ten assists in one of the Top 5 European leagues last season, with only Jadon Sancho achieving the same feat at a younger age.

Stefano Sensi played five matches and scored once in Serie A under Giuseppe Iachini’s guidance at Sassuolo.

Vecino and Dalbert will be coming up against their former side for the Nerazzurri, while Cristiano Biraghi, Borja Valero and Alfred Duncan will be doing the same for the Viola. Duncan played his first three Serie A matches as an Inter player in 2012/13.

Federico Chiesa has been involved in eight of Fiorentina’s last 15 goals in the league (four goals and the same number of assists).

Castrovilli scored the first goal of the 2020/21 season against Torino.

COACHES

Antonio Conte has faced Fiorentina nine times as a coach in Serie A. His record against the Viola reads as follows: four wins, three draws, two defeats.

Antonio Conte and Giuseppe Iachini have come up against each other twice in the Italian top flight: the current Inter Coach won the first encounter (Juventus 3-0 Siena in February 2013) and had to settle for a 0-0 draw in July.

Giuseppe Iachini has met Inter twelve times as a coach in Serie A, winning three, drawing six and losing three of these matches.

SUSPENSIONS AND THOSE WALKING THE TIGHTROPE

Inter: de Vrij (1)

Fiorentina: -