A good streak of victories have put Roma at the top of Serie A and now they will look to maintain their top spot against Inter Milan.
Form
It has been a good stretch of games for Roma. They come into this game having not lost in their last nine games with two draws and seven victories. They recently beat then leaders Fiorentina and dispatched Udinese 3-1 midweek to stay at the top. They currently sit at the top of Serie A with 23 points but only have a two point lead on second place Napoli. Although they have had great success domestically, they have struggled in Europe. They are currently last in their group with two draws in Europe. If Roma want to improve their situation in Europe, they must do it now.
Inter Milan have had a revival like season so far and Roberto Mancini's players are contenders to finish 1st right now. Currently, Inter Milan sit 4th in the Serie A table but they are tied on points with 2nd and 3rd place Napoli and Fiorentina.
They come into this game with three draws and one win, a 1-0 win over Bologna this past weekend. Inter currently are not in European competition so all of their focus has to be domestically. Given Juventus's struggles, Inter Milan need to take advantage of the situation that has been given to them.
Key Players
The key player for Roma has to be Edin Dzeko. Dzeko has struggled since coming over from England this summer and has yet to make a solid impact for Roma. At Manchester City last year, the issue was playing time as he was fighting to split time with Stevan Jovetic and Sergio Aguero. But this year it is different as he is on a new team and he is the best striker on the team.
The key player for Inter is striker Stevan Jovetic. Like Dzeko, Jovetic left Manchester to Italy in search for more playing time and he got that at Inter Milan. He started off the season strong with a game winner in the opening game and hasn't looked back since. His presence on the field will be necessary for Inter Milan to win this game.
Team News
According to reports by ESPNFC, Jose Mourinho's camp has reportedly contacted PSG and Inter Milan about the Chosen One's services if he was to leave Chelsea. Mourinho has a history with Inter as he led them to a treble in the 09-10 season.
Before their match last week, Fiorentina said that Roma winger Mohamed Salah could be punished for reneging on an agreement with them and joining Roma this summer. If charged, Salah could face stiff penalties.
What They're Saying
"It's true, I did have contact [with Juve] but now I'm delighted to be here," said Roma striker Edin Dzeko to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via ESPNFC) when asked about snubbing the reigning Serie A champs to join Roma.
"It wouldn't be decisive because they're still strong and there are a lot of games left for them to get back into the hunt, but it would be a crucial step for us," said Inter striker Stevan Jovetic to Tuttosport (via ESPNFC). Jovetic and Inter have to take advantage of a good start for them and a horrid start by the reigning champs Juventus.