Inter vs Verona: Prediction and Match Preview

May 3, 2025. 21:45. Milan. "Giuseppe Meazza"
Serie A, Round 34

Injuries: Pavard, Martinez - Harrui, Davidovich
Suspensions: Calhanoglu, Inzaghi (head coach of "Inter") - Giliardi, Coppola

"Inter" vs "Verona": Bookmakers' Odds

"Inter"

The performance of "Inter" this week has been the talk of the town. While the team led by Simone Inzaghi suffered a defeat to "Roma" in the league, handing "Napoli" the top spot in the standings, the "Nerazzurri" have maintained a strong chance of reaching the Champions League final in their clash against tournament favorites "Barcelona". "Inter" returned from the Catalan capital with a 3-3 draw.

Marcus Thuram's goal just 30 seconds into the match became the fastest in Champions League semi-final history. But that wasn't all that "Inter" managed to surprise the Catalans with. Full-back Dumfries scored a brace in this encounter, becoming the first player in the club's history to achieve this feat at the semi-final stage of the tournament.

Alongside Dumfries, the 36-year-old Henrikh Mkhitaryan made a significant impact. He covered the most distance in the match - 11.82 kilometers. On average, each "Barcelona" player ran 10.58 kilometers during the game, while "Inter" players covered 10.85 kilometers. It's no wonder that before the game in Catalonia, the former "Shakhtar" midfielder expressed his gratitude for meeting a coach like Simone Inzaghi: "I am very happy to meet Simone Inzaghi at this stage of my career, as moving to "Inter" at 33 years old, and now being 36, was not easy, because at this age, performance tends to decline. I am grateful to him for allowing me to still play, to still show my skills to myself and to the whole world."

"It was an incredible pleasure. We played a fantastic match against the strongest team in the world. The boys were fantastic.

In the last 8-9 years, I haven't seen a player like Yamal. We had to deal with him in threes, which opened up other zones. Then he got a bit tired, and we played at a very high level in the second half.

Barcelona's strategy is risky, but it works. They have scored over 150 goals, won two trophies, and are vying for two more. But we played very strongly. Taremi returned from injury, and I am grateful to him. Thuram had only one training session; he didn't even shoot at goal until today's warm-up," Inzaghi noted.

However, let's return to league matters. After the home defeat to "Roma" (0:1), "Inter's" chances of winning the Scudetto have significantly diminished. According to Opta, the probability of "Napoli" becoming champions stands at 81.3%. "Inter's" chances of winning the Scudetto are rated at only 18.7%, although just before Round 34, the supercomputer favored the Milan team (55.8%).

These are not the only problems for "Inter". In Barcelona, the team's captain Lautaro Martinez suffered an injury and will definitely miss the match against "Verona" (Inzaghi: "Lautaro played 8 matches in a row, and in such situations, there is always a risk"). Pavard is injured, and Thuram will be unable to play more than 30 minutes. Additionally, midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu and head coach Simone Inzaghi have received suspensions. This was a result of the club's agreement with the FIGC prosecutor regarding the connection between "Inter" and "Milan" players with ultras - the players and coach admitted their guilt.

Moreover, the hosts will be very fatigued, so rotation will take place...

"Verona"

"Verona" lost at home to "Cagliari" (0:2), and their coach Paolo Zanetti stated that he wants to see a reaction at "San Siro". "We played 10 excellent games, so the defeat to "Cagliari" concerns me. We must perform better; it was a poor game, but we shouldn't complicate our lives with negative thoughts. It is quite possible that "Inter" will make changes, but they have a squad capable of fighting for all their goals.

"Verona" is a young, inexperienced team, especially in managing emotions. We also made individual mistakes that cost us dearly. I have tried to isolate the team from the negativity that now surrounds us," Zanetti noted.

"Inter" vs "Verona": Predicted Line-ups

"Inter" vs "Verona": Author's Prediction

This is a very difficult match to predict. Any slip-up from "Inter" could prematurely crown "Napoli", so the team, regardless of the line-up, will strive for victory. "Verona" will be able to give a fight to "Inter's" semi-reserve/fatigued squad, so I wouldn't be surprised by a 2-2 draw or a 3-2 victory for the hosts. I lean towards a prediction of "total over".