Inter v Roma: who'll get the kickstart they need?

Surely anything Trabzonspor can do, Roma can do better? Their 0-1 win over the Nerazzuri was the first time a side from Turkey had beaten the Milan giants in 28 years, and the Trabzon side only made it into the competition because of Fenerbahce's implication in a match-fixing scandal. No disrespect, but compared to the opposition their Milanese neighbours faced this week, Inter were hardly up against football royalty. 


The shock loss piled more pressure on Gian Piero Gasperini, after the heavy 4-3 to Palermo in Sicily laid bare the myriad problems facing La Beneamata. It's Inter's worst start to a season in 89 years, and with all the media hype, fan pressure and less-than-encouraging comments coming from owner Massimo Moratti, something's going to give, soon.

INTEROMA: save yourselves ... if you can

A couple of weeks ago, the same sentence could have been written about Roma but now it seems that the players and the boardroom are all behind Enrique and his work in progress.

There was plenty to get behind in the Giallorossi's opening game, even if the result wasn't what anyone would have hoped for. Shots galore and 59% possession were the positives, that they failed to convert their dominance into a commanding lead and were punished on the counter were the negatives.

There was talent on show last Sunday, and even if Bojan had an unspectacular debut it seems likely that the Spanish coach will stick with the Barcelonan prodigy in a line-up that had a nice mix of experience and youthful exuberance. Without the suspended Jose Angel, Gabriel Heinze will deputise at left-back leaving Simon Kjaer a space in the centre beside Nicolas Burdisso. Pjanic and De Rossi were both effective in the midfield last week, and while Simone Perrotta's performance was not up to his usual standards, the Italian – who celebrates his 34th birthday – should have another chance to prove his worth should Enrique not opt for the returning David Pizarro. Up front, Totti and Bojan might be joined by Marco Borriello. Alternatively, reports in the Italian press suggest that young Fabio Borini will lead the line, so impressive has he been in training.

As for Inter: three or four at the back? And where will Wesley Sneijder be? He was the only chink of light for Inter fans watching the game against the Turks, but it remains to be seen how effectively Gasperini can shoe-horn him into his tactical ideas.

the squads

ROMA, from: Borini, Borriello, Burdisso, Cassetti, Curci, De Rossi, Gago, Heinze, Kjaer, Bojan, Osvaldo, Perrotta, Pizarro, Pjanic, Rosi, Stekelenburg, Taddei, Totti

INTER, from: Julio Cesar, Castellazzi, Orlandoni; Zanetti, Lucio, Ranocchia, Samuel, Faraoni, Jonathan, Bianchetti, Nagatomo; Sneijder, Alvarez, Cambiasso, Obi, Coutinho, Muntari; Pazzini, Forlan, Milito, Zarate, Castaignos

from Sky Italia