Inter Milan is gearing up to kick off their Serie A title defense with a match against Genoa this weekend.
The Quest for Continuity and Early Momentum
Eager to establish dominance in Italian football, Inter Milan hopes to emulate Juventus’s nine straight titles and carve out their own era of success amidst a shifting Serie A landscape.
To achieve this, Inter will look to replicate their strong start from last season, where they secured five straight victories and quickly climbed to the top of the table. One of their key advantages is continuity. Simone Inzaghi remains at the helm, while many of their main competitors have new coaches. AC Milan has brought in Paulo Fonseca, Juventus is now led by Thiago Motta, and Antonio Conte has taken the reins at Napoli.
Inter’s transfer activity has been relatively modest this summer, with the key additions being Polish midfielder Piotr Zielinski and Iranian forward Mehdi Taremi, both arriving on free transfers. Due to injury, Zielinski misses the opening matches, but Taremi is poised to assist Lautaro Martinez, who recently returned from Copa America duty, in the Genoa game.
Genoa, on the other hand, is hoping to avoid relegation after finishing 11th last season, a solid showing for a newly promoted team. However, they face a tough challenge against Inter, especially with key forwards unavailable and the departure of striker Mateo Retegui to Atalanta. Coach Alberto Gilardino will likely rely on Vitinha, with top scorer Albert Gudmundsson potentially missing out due to transfer speculation.
Elsewhere in Serie A, AC Milan begins their season under new coach Paulo Fonseca with a home game against Torino. New signing Alvaro Morata, fresh from leading Spain to Euro 2024 glory, will spearhead the attack. Meanwhile, Juventus, under the new guidance of Thiago Motta, will host newly promoted Como, who have bolstered their squad with veterans like Pepe Reina and Alberto Moreno.
Napoli, last season’s 10th-place finishers, aim to rebound under Antonio Conte with an away opener against Hellas Verona, as Serie A kicks off with multiple teams vying to topple Inter Milan.
