Roma vs. Inter: past encounters, statistics and facts

MILAN - Antonio Conte’s Inter are turning their attentions to their next game against Fonseca’s Roma for matchday 34 in Serie A, with the match set to kick off at 21:45 CEST on Sunday 19 July. The reverse fixture saw the Nerazzurri’s only goalless draw in the league this season, with a 0-0 stalemate being the most common result in meetings between the two sides (the result of 21 fixtures).

In collaboration with Opta, we’re bringing you all of the numbers, past results, facts and statistics ahead of Sunday’s game.

HEAD-TO-HEAD AND PAST ENCOUNTERS

The next encounter between the two sides will be their 174th meeting in Serie A, with the record seeing 72 wins for the Nerazzurri compared to the Giallorossi’s 49, with 52 draws to complete the picture. Roma are the side against whom Inter have won the most games in Serie A (72), while Inter are the side against whom Roma have scored the most goals in the competition (222). Inter and Roma could become the first two sides to have scored a combined total of 500 Serie A goals against one another (with the total currently on 499). In recent times, Roma and Inter have shared the points on all four of their last four meetings in Serie A, but the two sides have never drawn five games in a row in the competition. Nine of the Nerazzurri’s last ten goals against Roma in Serie A have come in the second half, with the only exception being Keita’s first-half finish in December 2018.

OUR PAST TRIPS TO ROME

Inter have faced Roma away 86 times in the league. In their last two trips to the capital, the Nerazzurri have recorded one win and one draw, with both teams getting on the scoresheet in their last five meetings at the Stadio Olimpico: 19 goals in total and an average of 3.8 per game.

GENERAL STATISTICS

While Inter have scored more headers than any other side in the league this season (17), the Giallorossi have conceded just four headed goals, with the Nerazzurri the only side to have conceded fewer (two). Conte’s side have scored eleven goals from outside the box this year, five more than they did all of last season and their best total in this statistic since their 13 long-distance goals in 2014/15. However, Roma have conceded just two longshots this league campaign, the fewest of any side in Serie A (with Inter having conceded the second fewest with three). No other side has conceded fewer goals than both Inter and Roma in stoppage time (one each).

CURRENT FORM

No side has scored more goals than Inter in Serie A since football returned in June (23, level with Atalanta). The Nerazzurri currently hold more points than they’ve earned in seven of the last eight Serie A campaigns (71), with the only exception being their 72 points in 2017/18.

After returning to action with three defeats in a row, Roma have now won all of their last three Serie A outings: the Giallorossi could make it four league wins in a row for the first time since May 2018, when they had Di Francesco as their coach. Fonseca’s side have managed to keep a clean sheet in just two of their 17 home games this season (only Bologna, SPAL and Lecce have managed fewer with one).

PLAYER FOCUS

Despite having played just 17 league games this season, Alexis Sánchez is currently enjoying his best-ever season for assists in Serie A, beating his previous record of six with Udinese in 2010/11. This is highest number of league assists since his time at Arsenal in 2016/17 (ten). Our Chilean forward has been involved in eight league goals since football returned (two goals, six assists), bettered only by Ronaldo on nine.

Should Romelu Lukaku score on Sunday, he’ll become the first player ever to score 13 away goals in his debut season in Serie A since it took on a round-robin format.

Matías Vecino has scored two goals against Roma in Serie A, both of which came for Inter in the 2017/18 season and one of these being his first-ever Serie A goal in Nerazzurri colours.

Antonio Candreva has scored three goals in his last five Serie A appearances.

Jordan Veretout made his Serie A debut against Inter in August 2017, with Sunday being his 100th appearance in the competition should he come onto the pitch.

Edin Dzeko has had a hand in a goal in five of his last eight clashes with Inter in Serie A: two goals and three assists, with the Bosnian striker having scored six headers in the ongoing league campaign.

COACHES

Antonio Conte has faced Roma eight times as a coach in Serie A: Inter’s current man in charge holds a record of four wins, two draws and two defeats.

Paulo Fonseca has faced Inter just once as a coach in Serie A, with the end result a draw in the reverse fixture this season.

SUSPENSIONS AND THOSE WALKING THE TIGHTROPE

SUSPENSIONS

Roma: -

Inter: -

THOSE ONE BOOKING AWAY FROM SUSPENSION

Roma: Diawara, Dzeko, Kluivert, Santon

Inter: de Vrij, Gagliardini, Valero, Vecino