Inter v Bologna – Preview
By: Johonna | October 3rd, 2008
Where: San Siro, Milan
When: Saturday, 8:30pm CET (11:30am pacific; 2:30pm eastern)
Referee: Maurizio Ciampi
How to Watch: Live-ish on Fox Soccer Channel or streaming.
So this may be our only respite in what is a brutal fixture list this month. After this game many of our players will be called-up for their national teams (World Cup Qualifiers), then we are away to Roma, then home to Anorthis Famagusta. That didn’t sound so bad at first, then I actually got to see the Cypriots play – they are no push overs. We are in for a bumpy month with no room for error. But I have gotten ahead of myself. One game at a time.
US
Our “super, super, super calm” coach has called up an interesting group for the game:
Goalkeepers: Toldo, Julio Cesar, Orlandoni.
Defenders: Cordoba, Zanetti, Maicon, Rivas, Samuel (!).
Midfielders: Stankovic, Vieira, Cambiasso, Muntari, Mancini, Bolzoni, Quaresma.
Strikers: Ibrahimovic, Cruz, Adriano, Obinna (!).
There are some unexpected names on the list:
First the triumphant return of Samuel to the squad. With all our injuries in defense, he may well actually make the pitch although I wonder if he is really ready.
Second, Bolzoni, a baby Nerrazzurri playing with the first squad. I always like to see youth players moving up the ranks.
And finally, VICTOR OBINNA! Wow. I did not expect to see him called up for Inter at all this season. I guess that since he did not go to Everton he is fully available to Mourinho. On paper, we have some massive talents up front – on paper… Unfortunately paper does not put goals in the back of the net.
With our huge list of injuries and Nico suspended, I will not even attempt to predict what sort of cobbled-together line-up will actually take the pitch tomorrow. Lets all just hope it works.
THEM
After their shock-upset against Milan on game day 1, Bologna have been on a slow slide to the bottom. They have lost their last 4 league games, but, on an up-note, beat Ascoli (1-0) in a Coppa Italia match on Wednesday. Still, there are rumors of a replacement in the works for Arrigoni (Walter Novellini anyone?), and a loss tomorrow may very well earn him the sack.
To make matters worse, not only have they lost those games, but have only scored 3 goals in all games this season (2 against Milan, 1 against Ascoli). Yikes. Really, if we cant smoke this team, we need to hang up our boots and go home.
La Gazzetta (and Channel 4) thinks Bologna will play a 4-2-3-1:
Antonioli
Bombardini, Terzi, Moras, C.Zenoni
Volpi, Mudingayi
Valiani, Amoroso, Marchini
Di Vaio
On the bench: Colombo, Lanna, Mingazzini, Adailton, Coelho, Marazzina, Britos
This team is between a rock and a hard space. They are a cornered, wounded animal and therefore, totally unpredicable. Still, their record this season shows a team in disarray, and I think thier win over Milan was less about Bologna playing well than Milan playing poorly (Milan has since fixed itself, though). Bologna has a proud history (7 scudetti) with talent on the team. Even if Di Vaio has not found his form, Mudingayi and Volpi are nothing to sneeze at, and Valiani may finally break out (he is the team high-scorer with 2 goals). Against a back-line held together with masking tape and prayers, they may give us some trouble.
HISTORY:
Aside from Bologna’s recent stint in Serie B, Inter and Bologna have a long history together. The teams have played each other 159 times over the years, with Inter winning almost half of the games (w: 74, D: 36, L: 49).
Our most recent history is in the 2004/5 season where we met 4 times: Inter drew 1 and won 3 so it is not like we dont know how to beat them. Cripes, even Stankovic has scored on this team (April 18, 2004).
OTHER STUFF:
Today was Ibrahimovic’s 27th birthday. He is in high spirits saying:
“Time goes by and you get older every year, but I’m happy because I’m enjoying life with my family and my football. It’s impossible to feel better than I’m feeling now.”
Glad to hear it Zlatan, now, please, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, do you think you could score a couple or three goals tomorrow? Thanks.
We have read a lot about Mourinho’s new and different training methods, but I wonder if even that would explain the photos of training today. At least everyone seems to be having a good time:
So, I am not going to bother predicting a score. Everyone knows we need to win this and there is absolutely no reason why we cant.
Ragazzi, Sono certo che vincerà domani. FORZA INTER
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Comments
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Poor Cagliari. Had they had someone who could actually finish, they would’ve won this match by, ooh, 6-0. Seriously, some of their misses were just mindboggling.
The table is in absolute shambles right now. Milan, Fiorentina and Juve at 8-11, Roma at 14…
Posted from
Indonesia
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Milan dropped points too!! Great weekend
Posted from
United States -
It may be shambles, but I will take it! Now we have to move into second gear and shore up the back line. Last season we had the best defensive record in the league. We need to find that form again!
Posted from
United States -
No badmouthing the Viola.
We won away and thereby upheld the honour of teams that represent real cities, and not ersatz suburbs in the hinterland.
Posted from
Italy -
Can’t complain about how the table fell for us this weekend.
We are holding on until we get healthy/not suspended central defenders back online. Some continuity back there would be nice.
By the way ursus, next chance I get “ersatz suburb” is going to get a another use.
Posted from
United States -
No badmouthing on my part, just disappointment. As for the other teams, I must admit to a smidgen of schadenfreude…
Posted from
Indonesia -
So, Ursus, tell how how you really feel about Chievo.
Just as a curiosity, why the rancor? Do you hate suburbs or just Chievo?
Posted from
United States -
I have a profound dislike for suburbs, especially those that seek to usurp the glory of their local metropole when it’s convenient.
And I have a soft spot for Hellas, despite the truly despicable nature of a good number of their ultras, who unfortunately embody everything that is wrong with the Veneto right now.
I’ve also never really liked panettone (the source of the fortune that is backing Chievo).
Posted from
Italy -
My dad lived in Padova and Milan for a few years and if there’s anything I can thank the city of Milan for, it’s panettone. I love it.
Posted from
United States -
But you probably had good panettone, and not the industrial stuff that Paluani dumps on the country at Christmas time.
“Artisanal” panettone can be quite good.
Posted from
Italy -
I’ve mostly had whatever is imported into the US. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, we always get this Venezia (company, I assume) panettone. That’s pretty funny though, I had no idea that there was a panettone baron in Italy, or that he was bankrolling Chievo.
Posted from
United States -
Yikes. See, this is a problem:
SIENA – Avevano seguito la Roma in trasferta a Siena. La loro domenica di calcio, invece, e’ finita con un fermo di polizia. Quattro tifosi giallorossi sono stati accusati di resistenza a pubblico ufficiale e uno di loro anche di tentato omicidio. Gli ultra’ erano a bordo di un’auto: hanno prima cercato di travolgere un gruppo di sostenitori del Siena e poi non si sono fermati all’alt degli agenti. Per fuggire hanno cercato di investire anche un poliziotto. (Agr)
Basically, four Roma fans tried to run over some Sienna supporters with their car. They have been arrested and one charged with attempted murder – or so the story goes. I understand being upset that your team lost, but how does this help?
Posted from
United States -
Although Roma supporters are notorious for their violence (English-like) this goes a little too far. I wonder if those of us who post here regularly and have been to games in Europe recently witness this type of idiocy a lot.
I have gotten some serious abuse from fans at various NFL games, but nothing violent. That’s even considering that I have on occasion sat in the endzone sections with some of the worst fans in the league.
I have never made it to a game in Italy, but you hear stories of half empty stadiums, violence and families afraid to go, and you wonder how much of it bad press and how much is accurate.
I guess yesterday it was pretty accurate. Although I can’t help speculating if these assholes will ever blame themselves for the team’s bad showing. People like this cause bad press, cause people not to go to games, cause team to lose revenue and prestige, cause team to lose quality signings through lack of funds and prestige…
Posted from
United States -
Well, I have only been to the San Siro once and it was not an emotionally charged game (Inter v Udinese, we drew). There were lots of families – even in the curva. The stadium was half empty, but just that morning no one was sure if the officials were going to allow fans at the game at all (this was feb 2007 – after the policeman was killed in Catania). None of the fans outside were obnoxious and the place was packed with tourists.
Truly, I think these stories are about a few bad apples.
Posted from
United States -
I think it’s ironic that in Europe, which is generally far less violent than the United States, their fans are much more violent and dangerous than US sports fans. Is it because they are are more passionate? Or because we’re controlled?
As much as I enjoy the NFL/American sports, I think there’s something to be said for games where the fans organize the in-game chants rather than play 20-second clips of a pop song 5 years old.
Posted from
United States -
Which reminds me.
We play Roma directly after the international break, don’t we?
I am really curious to see how many will make it over here to start shit. When they do come, (does anyone doubt it?) will it be for the whole two weeks coming up or just before the game.
We had idiot Milan supporters here for almost a week after the derby game. We even had Juventus people here last week capering around.
Hmm, something must have happened recently to quiet all these folks down… what could it be…
Posted from
United States -
The last Serie A game I was at was Juventus-Sampdoria, actually also in February. Ended up being the only game we lost at home all season (2004-2005) at a 0-1 scoreline, talk about a bad choice of games.
Posted from
United States -
I dont know, MAD, they seem pretty subdued over on the Roma board. Something about having two of their best defenders unavailable for the upcoming match…
Unless something turns around during the break, we have only Nico and Cordoba in central defense, and Zanetti will have to play in Maxwell’s spot again. And that leaves no room for any more muscle strains!
Posted from
United States -
I could write a book on football-related violence and the way it is filtered through the European and North American media and used to push various political agendas, but given that this site tends to attract a large number of people who live thousands of miles away from the Meazza, I think it is important to stress that Johonna’s experience is much more typical of the reality of attending a football match here than that of the Siena supporters who were unlucky enough to encounter the Roma nutters.
As most of you know, I have a son who just turned 10, and has been a season ticket holder at Inter since he was 8. I’ve never had the slightest hesitation at taking him to the Meazza, and his health and safety mean more to me than anything else in the world.
Posted from
Italy -
It is like anything sensationalized in the media – blown way way way out of proportion.
Alessio, I think it is exactly because Europe is less violent (or at least that is the perception) that when something like the above happens, it makes all the news.
Think about it this way, in Italy you are far more likely to die in a car accident than in football related violence but people still pack their families into cars and drive. Fatal accidents are so common there (and here, really) that they hardly ever make the news. It is all a matter of perception.
Posted from
United States -
Oh I agree, I think it’s way blown out of proportion and I didn’t want to suggest that I bought that all games are crazy violent fests. In fact, I’ve never been at one that had any serious problems, other than typical pushing and shoving between tifosi. (Bari-Lecce, good stuff) But here negli Stati Uniti, there’s really no fans that die from game-related violence, it’d hit the news. Last time I remember hearing about one was a fan was killed by a cop in celebrating after the ALCS win of the BoSox in 2004.
Posted from
United States -
It is also how it is reported here in the US rather than in Europe. Here, if there is gang related violence and the people involved happen to be wearing sports jerseys it is still reported as gang-related. In Italy, I bet it would be reported as sports-fan violence.
Posted from
United States -
Except that no one wears jerseys here unless they are playing or watching football.
Posted from
Italy -
I wear mine every CL day.
Posted from
United States -
i trinidad everyone wears their teams shirts. team apparel is quite big here.
Posted from
United States
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