SPAL vs. Inter: stats and trivia

MILAN – After our home win against Torino, the Nerazzurri are gearing up for their return to action on Thursday 16 July at 21:45 CEST against SPAL, in what will be matchday 33 of the Serie A season. In the reverse fixture, Lautaro Martinez, who was on the scoresheet last time out against the Granata, sealed the win for Inter with a brace. Together with Opta, let’s take a look at all the key facts and figures ahead of the match.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS

The upcoming match will be the 38th meeting between Inter and SPAL in Serie A. Inter have the better record of the two sides, coming out with 26 wins compared with just four for SPAL, with the picture completed by seven draws. SPAL have lost more matches against Inter than against any other team in Serie A, losing twelve of their last 15 clashes with the Nerazzurri. Inter have played 18 Serie A matches away to SPAL, with four home wins, five draws and nine away wins.

GENERAL STATISTICS

Inter are unbeaten in their last nine meetings with sides that sit bottom in the Serie A standings ahead of the match (seven wins, two draws). However, both the draws came in away matches, against Chievo in December 2018 and against Verona in February 2016. Having remained unbeaten away for eleven matches (nine wins, two draws), in their last four away games, the Nerazzurri have lost two, drawn one and won one.

Inter have scored 16 headed goals this season, three more than any other team. However, no side have scored fewer in the air than SPAL, who have recorded just three headed goals. Diego Godín’s goal in the match against Torino made him the 18th different Serie A goalscorer for the Nerazzurri this season: Inter have never done better in a single season, with 18 the Club record from 2007/08. After 32 matchdays, Inter sit on a tally of 68 points, their best total at this point of the season since 2008/09 (74).

PLAYER FOCUS

Romelu Lukaku failed to find the net in the reverse fixture, having only failed to score in both the home and away meetings against three sides (Juventus, Lazio and Verona).

Having endured a dry spell in his first two Serie A appearances against SPAL, Lautaro Martínez scored a decisive brace in the reverse fixture.

Alexis Sánchez’s first Serie A goal for Inter actually came in his only appearance against a side last in the standings, when the Nerazzurri faced Sampdoria on matchday six this season.

Antonio Candreva scored in our last Serie A away match at the Stadio Bentegodi against Verona for his first away goal in Serie A since September 2018 at the Stadio Dall’Ara against Bologna. The Nerazzurri wide-man has scored in consecutive Serie A away matches just once in his career, as far back as 2014 when he was at Lazio.

In the last two seasons, Petagna has scored 41.8% of all of SPAL’s goals in the league. Even taking into consideration all players who have played both of the last two seasons in the same division, this is the highest proportion in any of Europe’s Top 5 leagues.

COACHES

Antonio Conte came out on top in his only previous Serie A meeting with SPAL as a coach.

Luigi Di Biagio played 117 matches with Inter, scoring 13 goals in Serie A: there is no side that the SPAL Coach has faced on more occasions than Inter in the top flight.

SUSPENSIONS AND PLAYERS ONE YELLOW AWAY FROM SUSPENSION

SUSPENSIONS:SPAL: -Inter: Godín (1)

PLAYERS ONE YELLOW AWAY FROM SUSPENSION:SPAL: Di Francesco, Valdifiori, VicariInter: de Vrij, Gagliardini, Valero, Vecino