Previous meetings between Walter Mazzarri and Vincenzo Montella as coaches are in perfect parity: one win each and two draws from four games. Both coaches' teams have scored at least once in every match and registered six goals in total.

Walter Mazzarri has faced Fiorentina 20 times in his coaching career, with results reading W4, D9 and L7. As a player, the current Inter boss spent two seasons at Fiorentina's youth academy (1979-1981), winning the Primavera championship and Coppa Italia in 1979/80.

Twelve matches have passed since Fiorentina last beat the Nerazzurri in San Siro, a 4-0 triumph on 7 May 2000. Inter have won all 12 meetings in Milan since then, hitting 26 goals in the process. The last time these sides shared the spoils at the Meazza was on 16 November 1996: 2-2 in Serie A.

Walter Mazzarri's side, along with Roma, have registered the highest number of different goalscorers (seven) in the 2013/14 Serie A campaign after the first four rounds of fixtures. In alphabetical order they are Alvarez, Cambiasso, Icardi, Milito, Nagatomo, Palacio and Taider.

If Andrea Ranocchia takes the field tonight, he will make his 100th career appearance in Italy's top flight. His 99 games to date have been collected in the colours of Bari, Genoa and Inter. The defender made his Serie A debut on the pitch with Inter - but on the opposite side - in Inter 1-1 Bari on 23 August 2009.

With his three strikes in the nascent 2013/14 Serie A campaign, Rodrigo Palacio is one of the three joint top scorers in competitive matches in Italy since the turn of the year. The Argentine has hit the net 17 times in that time, the same number as Paulinho (Livorno) and Maccarone (Empoli). Palacio is also the most decisive player in Serie A in the current season: his goals have earned Inter six of their ten points so far, opening the scoring in the away victories at Catania and Sassuolo.

Fiorentina have strung together consecutive victories in their last seven trips away from Florence, starting last season and continuing this term: 2-0 at Atalanta, 3-0 away to Sampdoria, 1-0 in Siena and 5-1 at Pescara in 2012/13, then 2-1 against Grasshoppers in Zurich (Europa League play-off), 5-2 over Genoa at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris and another 2-0 over Atalanta in Bergamo in 2013/14.

Born on 26 September 1965, Fiorentina honorary president Andrea Della Valle celebrates his 48th birthday today.

Vincenzo Montella has won two, drawn two and lost two of his six matches against Inter since he turned to coaching. He has yet to keep a clean sheet though, with the Nerazzurri putting eight goals past his teams. In his playing days, Montella faced Inter on 19 occasions (17 in Serie A and two in the Coppa Italia), with four wins, six draws and nine defeats. However, despite frequently finishing on the losing side, the former Empoli, Genoa, Sampdoria, Roma and Fulham striker had a great scoring record against the Nerazzurri, plundering 12 goals in total – the same number as against Fiorentina and his highest tally against any club.

MILAN – It was a comeback victory for the Nerazzurri in their Week 5 game against Fiorentina. It all took place in a thrilling second half and ended 2-1 with Cambiasso and Jonathan finding the net in response to Giuseppe Rossi’s penalty.

But let’s start at the beginning. To face the Viola, Mazzarri chose Handanovic in goal behind a three-man defence of Campagnaro, Ranocchia and Juan Jesus. In midfield Nagatomo and Jonathan were tasked with working the flanks outside of Taider, Cambiasso and Guarin in the middle, while Alvarez supported Palacio in attack.

The first half was balanced and ended scoreless, although both sides had their chances. The Nerazzurri looked particularly dangerous on the counter while Joaquin nearly put Fiorentina ahead on two occasions.

Fifteen minutes into the second half Valeri pointed to the spot for Juan Jesus’ foul on Joaquin. Giuseppe Rossi stepped up and put the penalty away, giving Fiorentina the lead.

On 72 minutes Cambiasso brought his side level with a fantastic goal. Following some ping-pong action in the box the Argentine controlled the ball with his chest before going airborne to acrobatically rifle it past Neto with his left.

In the 83rd minute Inter were in front when Jonathan, showing tremendous focus and coordination, blasted a right-footed half-volley under the crossbar past the flailing keeper.

Handanovic denied Ambrosini in injury time and the clash ended as a 2-1 victory for the Nerazzurri.

Inter now sit in second place in the standings with Napoli and Juventus on 13 points.


Inter 2-1 Fiorentina (HT: 0-0)
Scorers: Rossi 60 (pen), Cambiasso 72, Jonathan 83.

Inter: Handanovic; Campagnaro, Ranocchia, Juan Jesus; Nagatomo, Taider (Kovacic 61), Cambiasso, Guarin (Icardi 67), Jonathan (Pereira 85); Alvarez; Palacio.
Unused subs: Castellazzi, Maniero, Andreolli, Belfodil, Kuzmanovic, Wallace, Milito, Samuel, Rolando.
Coach: Walter Mazzarri.

Fiorentina: Neto, Gonzalo, Aquilani (Vecino 78), Fernandez, Savic, Joaquin, Borja Valero, Ambrosini, Pasqual (Marcos A. 81), Tomovic, G. Rossi (Ilicic 69).
Unused subs: Munua, Lupatelli, Roncaglia, Compper, Bakic, Rebic, Wolski, Matos, Vargas.
Coach: Vincenzo Montella.

Referee: Valeri (Rome).
Booked: Ranocchia 43, Ambrosini 49, Juan Jesus 49, Nagatomo 70, Campagnaro 74.
Added time: 2 + 3 minutes.
Attendance: 38,291.

starting lineups

substitutes