Sassuolo - FC Internazionale predictions and free betting tips [04/05/2024]

On Saturday, 4th May, as part of the 35th round of the Italian Serie A, Sassuolo will play host to Inter Milan. While Inter recently clinched Scudetto and are having fun playing out the season, the home side is dangerously close to relegation and can't afford to falter.

Sassuolo

With 4 rounds remaining in the season, Sassuolo finds itself in serious danger of relegation and currently occupies the 19th spot in the Serie A standings, trailing 17th place Empoli by five points. Having participated in the top division since 2013, the club’s supporters certainly didn’t expect their team to be in such a precarious position. Moreover, the Neroverdi have been mired in a deep crisis for several weeks, as evidenced by their solitary victory in their last 15 matches. After three draws (with Udinese, Salernitana and Milan), Sassuolo fell to Lecce (0:3) and Fiorentina (5:1) last weekend – Torstvedt recorded the only goal for the underdog on the 57th minute of play. Considering that Sassuolo will face Genoa, Cagliari, and Lazio in their upcoming matches, it might be extremely difficult to garner enough points to stay afloat.

Unexpectedly, Davide Ballardini's charges occupy the fourth from last position in overall home points gathered. Sassuolo's top player Domenico Berardi (9 goals and 3 assists) has been ruled out with a serious injury at a crucial point for the team, with doubts hovering over wingers Defrel and Castillejo. The good news for the home side is Lauriente's (4 goals and 4 assists) return after serving his suspension. Torstvedt (6 goals), who netted against Fiorentina, will again pair with forward Pinamonti (10 goals), while defender Ruan Tressoldi will sit out due to a one-match ban.

Inter Milan

This season, Inter, having no rivals on the domestic scene, easily won the Scudetto. The Nerazzurri have only lost one Serie A match, which occurred late September against... Sassuolo, while the title was clinched following a 1:2 victory over Milan in the city derby. Last weekend, the Lombardy side continued their domination with a 2:0 victory over Torino, despite the lack of any meaningful competition – Hakan Calhanoglu bagged a brace in the second half. Accumulating 89 points, Inter will now attempt to breach the 90-point barrier for only the third time in club history – with their record standing at 97 points, achieved in 2007. Moreover, another clean sheet would allow the team to surpass the benchmark first set 35 years ago; their current tally of shuts-outs (20) is the highest amongst the top-5 European leagues.

Simone Inzaghi's side, despite winning the Supercoppa Italiana, were a disappointment in the Champions League where they were ousted by Atletico Madrid in the round of 16. The coaching staff continues to work without key defenders Acerbi and Dimarco who haven't fully recovered from their physical ailments. Dutch full-back Dumfries has served his suspension, returning to the right flank of the defence. Hakan Calhanoglu has performed excellently in Inter's midfield this season (13 goals and 3 assists) and will certainly start on Saturday. The attacking pair will again comprise the perfect complements, Lautaro Martinez (23 goals in the league) and Marcus Thuram (12 goals and 7 assists in the league).

Head-to-Head

Inter's lone Serie A defeat this season came against Sassuolo, when the Emilia side claimed victory at San Siro with a 2:1 scoreline, courtesy of a Domenico Berardi goal.

Match Prediction for Sassuolo - Inter

Since Sassuolo's promotion to Serie A, the two teams have never played out a draw in the ten face-to-face clashes at Mapei – Citta del Tricolore. It seems this trend will likely continue on Saturday. The Neroverdi are in a deep crisis and have been scattering points in all directions, while the Nerazzurri are relentless and chasing a points record for the season. I predict the routine victory for the favourites.