MILAN – The Nerazzurri take on Chievo Verona at lunchtime today (12:30 CEST) looking to build on last week's derby success with another victory at the Stadio Bentegodi.
Ahead of the Serie A Week 4 fixture, here are some facts and figures for you to peruse courtesy to Opta.
HEAD TO HEADS
Chievo and Inter have faced off 26 times in Serie A. The Gialloblu have won four times and the Nerazzurri 15 with seven draws.
Inter hit the target in 24 of their 26 previous league encounters with Chievo. Prior to last year's goalless stalemate, the Nerazzurri hadn't drawn a blank in 19 games – since March 2004. Chievo have failed to muster a goal in six of their last nine Serie A meetings with Inter, including the last two.
The Flying Donkeys have won just one of their last nine league matches against Inter (six defeats, two draws).
The most common scoreline between these two sides in Serie A is 2-0 to Inter, which has occurred six times, including their first league meeting in 2014/15.
PREVIOUS MATCH-UPS IN VERONA
There have been 13 Chievo v Inter fixtures in Serie A history, with only three wins for the Gialloblu (all 2-1). The Nerazzurri have triumphed seven times and there have been two draws.
The last six Serie A encounters at Chievo have yielded four Inter victories and two for the Veneto side, with no draws.
Three of the last four games at the Bentegodi have finished 2-0 to Inter, with Chievo winning the other one 2-1. In each of their seven home defeats to Inter, Chievo failed to score.
LUNCHTIME KICK-OFF
Inter have played at 12:30 12 times, obtaining six victories, three draws and three defeats. Chievo have taken to the field at the same time on 14 occasions, winning four, drawing two and losing eight.
This is the second time Chievo and Inter have locked horns at 12:30 in Serie A. The Nerazzurri claimed a 1-0 success at the Bentegodi in January 2010.
FORM
Chievo are unbeaten this year with seven points from their first three league games this year (W2, D1), their best ever return after three top-flight matches. They are undefeated at home in their last nine (W4, D5). Maran's side have also scored in each of their last six matches at the Bentegodi.
Inter last opened a Serie A season with three straight victories in 2002/03, going on to finish the campaign in second place. The last time the Nerazzurri sat top of the league by themselves was in Week 4 of 2010/11.
Inter have now won four consecutive Serie A matches including the last game of last season, something they hadn't managed since September-Neovember 2012, when they knocked out seven victories on the spin. Mancini's men have won four of their last five away trips (and were beaten by Genoa in the other), scoring 11 and conceding six.
GENERAL STATS
Chievo's next goal will be their 600th in Serie A.
The Gialloblu have the second-best attack in Serie A with eight goals from three games, just behind Samp (nine).
Inter have the tightest defence in the top flight, having conceded just once in their opening three games. Chievo have the second best defence, with two goals against.
Chievo are near the bottom of the pile when it comes to total shots: 27 (including blocked efforts) – only Bologna have managed fewer (24). The Flying Donkeys have scored the most headed goals (three), while four have come from outside the area – another record in Serie A 2015/16. No team has scored more from set pieces (three) and corners in particular (two).
No team has scored more than Inter in the last 15 minutes (two goals). The Nerazzurri are yet to concede in the first half – their only goal against came in the last quarter of an hour.
Inter have enjoyed the most possession in Serie A this season (63.8%) while Chievo have the second lowest (38.6%, more than only Carpi). Chievo have the worst pass completion rate in the top flight (71.4%) while Inter have the third best (84.7%).
PLAYERS
Mauro Icardi hasn't scored in either of his two Serie A appearances this season. The Argentine has never gone three games without scoring in 2015. That last happened in September-October 2014, when he went five games without finding the net. He is yet to score in four matches against Chievo (228 minutes). Only against AC Milan (six games, 449 minutes) and Torino (359 minutes) has he gone longer without celebrating a goal.
Rodrigo Palacio has managed just one goal in 10 meetings with Chievo (25 September 2011 while playing for Genoa).
Adem Ljajic has put two past Chievo in seven appearances: one with Fiorentina (April 2012) and one with Roma (October 2014).
Andrea Ranocchia has scored three times against the Gialloblu in Serie A: he has not scored more than once against any other team. The defender's first Serie A strike came against Chievo at the Bentegodi in 2009 while wearing a Bari shirt.
Riccardo Meggiorini made his Serie A debut in a Nerazzurri jersey in 2004 (Cagliari v Inter). That would remain his only top-flight appearance for Inter. Meggiorini has scored three times against the Nerazzurri (his favourite Serie A victim), including his only top-flight double while playing for Torino (27 January 2013). Meggiorni has been flagged offside four times this season. Only Pander and Matos (five) have been flagged more often.
Alberto Paloschi has scored just once against Inter in nine appearances: he bagged the opener in a 1-1 draw on 13 January 2014. Paloschi is the player to have scored at least two headers in Serie A this season.
Valter Birsa has laid on more assists (three) than any other Serie A player this term.
Perperim Hetemaj's goal against Juventus was Chievo's first of the season not scored by one of Birsa, Meggiorini or Paloschi, who between them netted the Gialloblu's first seven in the league.
Sergio Pellissier has scored five goals in 21 Serie A matches against Inter but has not managed any in his last six against the Nerazzurri, all lost by Chievo.
Giampiero Pinzi has found the net three times against Inter. AC Milan are the only other side he has scored so many against.
Yuto Nagatomo's last league goal came against Chievo on 13 January 2014. Since then he has gone 31 league games without scoring.
Fredy Guarín struck the winner against AC Milan last week on his 100th Serie A appearance, his first goal in six games since 4 May 2015. Guarin is only the second Inter player to find the net this term: Stevan Jovetic scored the first three (one penalty). Only Insigne has had more shots on goal (18) than Jovetic (15) this year.
Jovetic and Paloschi are joint second topscorers in Serie A behind Sampdoria's Eder (five).
Only Marek Hamsik (250) has played more passes than Gary Medel (220).
Of the goalkeepers who have played all three league games this season, Samir Handanovic has saved the highest percentage of shots on target (88%).
COACHES
Rolando Maran and Roberto Mancini have faced off two times in Serie A, both last season: a 0-2 away win for Inter in the first match followed by a 0-0 draw at the Meazza.
Maran has played Inter six times before in the top fligght (four while in charge of Catania, two with Chievo) but has yet to win one (D2, L4).
Mancini's record in 13 previous Serie A meetings with Chievo is six wins, five draws and two defeats. Eight of those matches came with Mancini in charge of Inter: five wins and three draws.
REFEREE AND DISCIPLINE
Paolo Tagliavento has officiated 176 Serie A matches in his career, 24 of which involved Inter. The only team he has whistled for more often is Roma.
The Nerazzurri's record with Tagliavento in Serie A is 14 wins, four draws and six defeats. Sixteen Chievo matches in the top flight have been refereed by Tagliavento (W6, D4, L6).
