MILAN – Are you ready for #FrightNight? Tonight at 20:45 CET, Roberto Mancini's Inter will step out at the San Siro to face Roma in a top-of-the-table clash on the night of Halloween.
Here are a few facts and figures to whet your appetite ahead of the Week 11 contest, in collaboration with Opta:
HEAD-TO-HEAD
This is the 165th fixture between these two sides in Italy's top division. The all-time form book puts Inter ahead on 70 victories to 47, with 47 draws as well.
Roma have both scored (211) and conceded (266) the most goals against Inter in Serie A.
The most frequent scoreline between these two teams in league encounters is 0-0, which has happened 20 times (most recently at the Stadio Olimpico in March 2014).
Inter won their most recent game against Roma in Serie A on April 25, breaking a seven-match undefeated run for the Giallorossi against the Nerazzurri (four wins and three ties).
RECORD IN MILAN
Roma have silenced the San Siro only 14 times in the history of Serie A, but have emerged victorious in four of their last ten league encounters against Inter here. The Nerazzurri have won 43 times in this fixture at home, while 25 draws account for the rest (82 games between the two in Milan).
The Giallorossi have managed to score three in seven of the last 13 matches played in the home of the Nerazzurri, picking up a win on four occasions (there have also been two 3-3 draws and a solitary 5-3 Inter victory).
Roma have finished the game with ten men in four of the last eight Serie A matches between these two sides played at the San Siro (two wins, one draw and one loss).
FORM GUIDE
Roberto Mancini's team have picked up five 1-0 wins since the start of the season. No other team has registered more than three victories with this scoreline.
Until now, no team has ever won the Scudetto after only managing ten goals or less in the opening ten Serie A fixtures.
Inter have hit the back of the net more than once in only two out of the last 13 league matches at the San Siro (including the 2-1 win over Roma in April 2015).
Roma go into this match on the back of five back-to-back victories, their longest winning streak since April 2014 when it stretched to nine.
The Giallorossi have registered 25 goals in their first ten games this season. Roma have been more prolific in Serie A only once in their history, when they notched 26 goals over the same period of games in 1960/61.
Rudi Garcia's squad have also scored in the most consecutive encounters in Serie A out of the current crop (21 games with 41 strikes overall at a rate of almost two a game). Nevertheless, the Giallorossi have managed to keep a clean sheet in only one out of their last seven away matches in the league (against Frosinone).
GENERAL STATISTICS
The best attack in the Serie A (Roma, 25 for) is coming up against the best defense (Inter, seven against).
This Giallorossi outfit has recorded the most shots on target this season (67, 12 more than their closest competitor) and have the second highest chance-conversion rate with 19%, only Sampdoria are ahead of them on 20%.
Inter are the second-highest team behind Frosinone in terms of average number of shots needed to score one goal (16).
No team has scored a header against the Nerazzurri so far this season, a record they share with Fiorentina and Frosinone. Inter are also one of two sides not to have conceded from outside the area in 2015/16 (the other being Napoli).
Roma have struck 12 times in the opening 45 so far, more than Inter have managed overall.
Inter and Verona are the only teams not to have found the back of the net in the first half hour of play.
The Giallorossi have conceded five strikes in the final 15 minutes, no other team has let in more during this period.
Garcia's players are the deadliest in Serie A from dead-ball situations, having scored eight times.
Twelve different players have got themselves on the score sheet for Roma this season, more than any other club in Europe's top five leagues.
The Giallorossi are the only side this season not to have dropped points from winning situations, going home with three points in all seven matches where they've taken the lead first.
PLAYERS
Rodrigo Palacio made his Serie A debut in August 2009 during Genoa 3-2 Roma. The Argentine has notched three goals in 11 outings against the Giallorossi in the top division (two for Genoa and one for Inter). Palacio hasn't scored in eight league matches in which he has taken part. Last season he went on a similar drought that stretched to 14 games before he finally broke his duck at the end of December.
Mauro Icardi also made his Serie A debut against Roma, in September 2012. He's scored twice against the Giallorossi, including the decisive goal in encounter Inter v Roma number 88 last April. Icardi got back on the scoresheet against Bologna in midweek to take his tally to three for the season. In 2014/15, which he finished with 22 to his name, he had hit five in the same number of games.
After plundering three in his first two games, Stevan Jovetic hasn't scored in the five he's played since then. Among the players who have taken at least 15 shots (including blocked attempts) in 2015/16, only Insigne (one every 15 minutes) and Higuain (one every 19 minutes) have shot more often than Jovetic (one every 20 minutes) considering their time on the pitch.
Ivan Perisic has bagged two in his last four appearances for Inter but is still looking for his first at San Siro.
Jonathan Biabiany scored in his last two games against Roma, while playing for Parma in 2013/14.
Adem Ljajic faces his former club tonight. He spent two years in the capital, from 2013 to August this year, scoring 14 goals in 61 Serie A outings. Ljajic set up Icardi for the winner against Bologna but hasn't netted himself in 17 matches (since February 2015, Cagliari v Roma) – his longest barren spell since 2012.
Miralem Pjanic scored his second and last Serie A brace in Roma 4-2 Inter in November 2014. He has had a hand in at least once goal in Roma's last eight games, either scoring (five goals, making him the highest-scoring midfielder) or providing the assist (five, a record in 2015/16). 40% of Roma's goals this season have come directly or indirectly from Pjanic.
Gervinho has hit five in his last five league matches, averaging a goal every 125 minutes – his best goals to minutes ratio since 2009. Before this scoring run, the Ivorian hadn't found the net since Roma 4-2 Inter in November 2014, going 16 games without a goal.
Mohamed Salah is available for selection again after being sent off against his former club Fiorentina last weekend. The Egyptian has scored five in his last six Serie A appearances. Salah struck the only goal as Fiorentina beat Inter at the Meazza in March.
Edin Dzeko has not scored since putting one past Juventus in August. He has the lowest goals to shots ratio (4.8%) of all Serie A strikers with at least one goal to their name.
Maicon returns to his former stomping ground tonight. He enjoyed six trophy-laden years at Inter from 2006 to 2012: four Scudetti, a Champions League, three Italian Super Cups, two Coppa Italias and a Club World Cup, notching 16 goals in 177 league games,. He has only played in eight Serie A matches in 2015 but has managed two goals and two assists in his last four.
After Lazaar and Ali Adnan, Lucas Digne is the full-back who has put in the most crosses from open play in Serie A this term (44).
COACHES
This is the third meeting between Roberto Mancini and Rudi Garcia, who recorded a home win each in the previous two.
Mancini's record against Roma in Serie A is perfectly balanced: six draws, five wins and five defeats from 16 league contests.
Rudi Garcia lost to Inter for the first time in April, after two wins and a draw in his first three.
REFEREE AND DISCIPLINE
Roma are the team that has received the fewest fouls (119) after ten rounds of Serie A, followed by Napoli (121) and Inter (123).
Nicola Rizzoli is refereeing his 205th Serie A fixture tonight in his 15th year of officiating in the Italian top flight.
Rizzoli was the man who officiated Roma's victory over Juventus earlier in the season.
Roma have won four (drawing two) of their last six league matches overseen by Rizzoli.
Inter, on the other hand, haven't won any of their last six in Serie A with Rizzoli in charge: four defeats and two draws.
This will be the fifth time Rizzoli has officiated a league fixture between Inter and Roma. Before now there have been three Nerazzurri wins and one draw – the only match played at San Siro (3-3 in March 2009).
Rizzoli has produced four red cards in his four Serie A games so far this season. No match official has sent off more players.
SUSPENDED:
Inter: Felipe Melo (1)
Roma: -
ONE BOOKING AWAY FROM SUSPENSION:
Inter: Guarin, Kondogbia
Roma: -
