MILAN – (stats provided by Football Data) Inter welcome Bologna to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza this evening for the 77th top-flight fixture between these two sides with Inter as the hosts. In previous Inter v Bologna matches, the Nerazzurri have racked up 45 wins, drawn 20 times and lost 11.
This is the third time Andrea Stramaccioni has crossed swords with Stefano Pioli this season and the Nerazzurri coach won both previous meetings: 3-1 in the away fixture in Serie A last October and 3-2 after extra time at the Meazza in the Coppa Italia in January. Stramaccioni's head-to-heads with Bologna are exactly the same (two wins out of two) while Stefano Pioli is facing Inter for the seventh time in a competitive game in his coaching career, with no draws to date: two victories for the current Bologna coach and four for the Nerazzurri.
Inter are unbeaten at home in competitive competition since 23 September last year, when Siena triumphed 0-2 in Serie A. The 16 matches played since then have yielded 11 wins and five draws. Stramaccioni's men have hit the net in all 16 games, 31 times in total. They still have some way to go before they can equal the club record of 53 home games without defeat, which was established between 2008 and 2010.
Should he feature tonight, Zdravko Kuzmanovic will celebrate his 100th appearance in a competitive game in Italy. His 99 to date – with Fiorentina and Inter – are divided as follows: 75 in Serie A, three in the Coppa Italia and 21 in European competition. He made his debut in Italy on 4 March 2007 in Fiorentina 5-1 Torino (Serie A).
Antonio Cassano could pass the 400-game milestone in his professional career in Italy against Bologna,. Of the 399 appearances he has made until now with Bari, Roma, Sampdoria, AC Milan and Inter, 318 have come in Serie A, 31 in the Coppa Italia and 50 in European competitions. Cassano made his professional debut for Bari on 11 December 1999 in a Serie A encounter between Lecce and Bari (1-0).
Bologna have the best attack in Serie A since the turn of the year: they have hit 17 goals in nine games.
