Round seven in Serie A sees Salernitana host joint-leaders Inter Milan at Stadio Arechi on Saturday.
Paulo Sousa's men are winless in the league after six games, while Simone Inzaghi's team suffered a shock defeat at home to Sassuolo on Wednesday night.
Match preview
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Salernitana went into their sixth game of the season hoping to find success against an Empoli side that had suffered five straight defeats to start the season.
However, the club from Salerno were beaten 1-0 at the Castellani, unable to claim their first win of an embryonic campaign.
Sousa's team have picked up three points, with two coming at the Arechi and an opening-day 2-2 tie with Jose Mourinho's Roma at the Olimpico.
Defeating Inter is something Salernitana have not achieved since regaining promotion to Serie A, even if they did secure a 1-1 draw last season when Antonio Candreva netted a worldie to level in the 90th minute.
A repeat will be music to Sousa's ears, even if it would not be the victory Sousa desires to get his 17th-placed team away from the bottom three — Salernitana, Udinese and 19th-placed Empoli are level on three points.
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As for Inter, Inzaghi's men were handed a surprising 2-1 defeat by Sassuolo to end the Nerazzurri's unblemished start to the 2023-24 season.
Last season's beaten Champions League finalists went ahead at San Siro through Denzel Dumfries; however, goals from Nedim Bajrami and Domenico Berardi saw the Neroverdi turn the game on its head.
With Inter unable to find an equaliser, both Milan clubs head into round seven level on 15 points after six matches.
Inzaghi's team seek a return to winning ways in Salerno, and the Piacenza-born manager will demand greater precision against Sousa's men than what his side showed at Empoli in round five, a complaint the Inter boss noted despite being the first coach to lead the club to five straight wins to start the season.
Matching Milan's result is not guaranteed to keep Inter joint-top because third-placed Juventus could leapfrog both sides if they fail to win their respective games this weekend — the Rossoneri host Lazio, while the Old Lady travel to Atalanta.
Team News
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Salernitana are without the sidelined Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi and Lassana Coulibaly, whose respective injuries could keep them out until October.
Candreva may have netted twice this season, but Sousa needs last term's top scorer, Boulaye Dia, fit and firing — the Senegal international returned from a muscle injury against Empoli and could push for a start on Saturday.
Inzaghi stated after the Milan derby victory that rotation was assured with games coming rapidly, and the Inter boss could make several changes to his team this weekend.
Lautaro Martinez has not scored in his last three league appearances — after netting five in the campaign's opening three matches — and the club captain seeks his first goal since early September.
Inter are without the injured Marko Arnautovic, Stefano Sensi and Juan Cuadrado against Salernitana.
Salernitana possible starting lineup:
Ochoa; Lovato, Gyomber, Pirola; Mazzocchi, Martegani, Maggiore, Bradaric; Kastanos, Candreva; Dia
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Frattesi, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Augusto; Sanchez, Martinez
We say: Salernitana 1-2 Inter Milan
While Inzaghi bemoaned Inter's collapse against Sassuolo, the Nerazzurri boss wants a response from his side, and they could get back to winning ways at Salernitana.
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