Inter Milan, who are still in title contention in Serie A, will host Fiorentina at San Siro on Monday night—just days after suffering a devastating setback in Florence.
At Stadio Franchi, Fiorentina put up a strong second half display, causing Inter, the defending Italian champions, to suffer just their second league defeat of the season.
Midfielder Edoardo Bove of Fiorentina collapsed on the pitch during the first encounter between the two teams in December, casting a cloud on the match. Concerns about his health led to the match being called off; it was later revealed that he had experienced a heart arrest.
Despite Bove's progress toward recuperation, he cannot participate in Serie A matches following the implantation of an ICD pacemaker. After a postponement, play resumed in the 17th minute as Inter traveled to Tuscany in pursuit of a win that would have tied them with Napoli for first place in the league.
With a late tie against AC Milan in the Derby della Madonnina and a pivotal goal from Stefan de Vrij, Simone Inzaghi's squad had already qualified for the Champions League Round of 16.
However, Inter's winning streak came to an end on Thursday night as Fiorentina scored three goals in the second half to defeat them 3-0 and secure Fiorentina's first away loss in Serie A this season.
Inter, who haven't suffered back-to-back league losses since April 2023, will be looking to escape that fate this season. A win at San Siro would put further pressure on Napoli and keep them in the title hunt as the Scudetto battle heats up.
Meanwhile, Fiorentina will be looking to repeat their triumph from Florence and beat Inter for the second time in league play, an accomplishment they last accomplished in 2016.
The Viola's recent dominating performance against Inter follows their breathtaking win over Lazio, in which they played with ten players for most of the second half.
Two goals from Moise Kean and one from captain Luca Ranieri gave Fiorentina a better chance of finishing in the top five. With 42 points, their best start to a season in nine years, Fiorentina are vying for a spot in Europe's elite league once again.
With so many teams fighting for a Champions League ticket, a victory on Monday would really set them apart. It will be difficult to beat Inter on their home field, San Siro, so taking all three points will be a major accomplishment. Match starts at 9 PM local time in Nigeria. The date is Monday, February 10, 2025 Location: San Siro