While waiting to see if the match will be played as scheduled – there is a risk of bad weather, which has already led to matches being suspended in that area – Inter are ready to battle it out for a place in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup against Fluminense.
Chivu has little choice, given that Bisseck, Calhanoglu, Frattesi, Pavard, Zielinski, and Pio Esposito are all unavailable, with the latter out due to fatigue. In any case, however, he will field a competitive team that could even have an easy time against the Brazilians, who will need to be carried – at least mentally – by Thiago Silva. For him, it’s derby time. Looking at the probable line-ups for the match and the statistics on which players have received the most yellow cards or committed the most fouls in these games, we have made our choices. Here they are.
Inter vs. Fluminense predictions: our picks
Let’s start with the Nerazzurri, who will have Sebastiano Esposito alongside Lautaro. A starter in the first two games, even if he didn’t finish them all, he has always committed at least one foul in the match. Since Lautaro, despite scoring, seems to be running on empty, he will be the one tasked with pressing the first ball carrier. And then, if he stops again with just one foul, there is always the Plus option that can come to our aid. Esposito is eager to redeem himself, because he seems to be behind his brother in the pecking order. So he will put his heart and soul into it on the pitch.
Staying with Inter, our second choice is Mkhitaryan: he committed two fouls against River Plate, and in the league he has always shown that he is someone who never holds back. So he goes looking for the ball and when he can’t get it cleanly, he’s not one to shy away from a foul. Maybe even with a yellow card. That’s why we’re choosing him. Let’s move on to the Brazilians: Nonato committed three fouls against Mamelodi, as he did against Borussia Dortmund, a match in which he was booked. He should happily repeat this against the Nerazzurri. We close the quartet with Arias. Two fouls against the Germans earlier, one foul against Ulsan, sixteen tackles, and two fouls against Mamelodi. The statistics force us to choose him.