MILAN - (Football Data) - Facts and figures related to Sunday afternoon's Serie A Week 17 clash between Perugia and Inter at Renato Curi stadium:
2002/03 Nerazzurri side shows improvement on previous season
The current Inter side has racked up more points than at the same stage last season (36 compared to 35 in 2001/02), has won more matches (11 compared to 10), has drawn less (3 compared to 5) and has lost the same number of matches (2). The 2002/03 Inter side has also scored more (33 goals to 31), and has conceded the same number of goals (16).
Perugia Vieri's second favourite target
Together with Bologna, Perugia are Christian Vieri 's second favourite target in the Serie A , with 9 goals scored against each side. Verona are in first place in Vieri 's personal table with 10 goals. In chronological order, Vieri has scored against the Griffins in Lazio vs. Perugia (1998/99 Serie A, 1 goal), Inter- Perugia (1999/00 Serie A, 1 goal), Inter vs. Perugia (2000/01 Serie A, 1 goal), Perugia vs. Inter (2000/01, Serie A, 3 goals), Inter vs. Perugia (2001/02 Serie A, 2 goals) and Perugia vs. Inter (2001/02 Serie A, 1 goal).
Nerazzurri close to record no. of points at halfway stage
If Inter win against Perugia, the Nerazzurri will have a total of 39 points at the halfway stage of the season - equalling the record number of points amassed in the first half of a Serie A season since 3 points were awarded for a victory (since the 1994/95 season). The only other side to have notched the same number of points was Roma in 2000/01. The Giallorossi went on to win the title that season.
Inter a win away from 14th 'winter champions' title
Either Inter or cross-city rivals AC Milan will win the title of 'winter champions' on Sunday. Should both sides win their respective Serie A Week 17 matches, it will be the first time two teams have been crowned 'winter champions' since the 1976/77 season, when Juventus and Torino both had 25 points at the halfway stage (Juve went on to win the Scudetto that season, which was contested by 16 teams). There is a remote possibility that three sides could share the Serie A top spot at the halfway point in the current season - should Lazio win and both Milanese sides lose, all three teams would be top of the table with 36 points. The last time three teams shared first position midway through the domestic championship was back in the 1953/54 season - Inter, Juventus and Fiorentina were at the summit with 26 points and the Nerazzurri eventually won the league title. Inter will be crowned 'winter champions' for the 14th time if they win against Perugia. The Nerazzurri have proceeded to win the Scudetto on 7 occasions (1929/30, 1937/38, 1952/53, 1953/54, 1965/66, 1979/80, 1988/89), while they have failed to win the title in the other 6 seasons (1933/34, 1950/51, 1960/61, 1961/62, 1966/67 e 1990/91). Inter have therefore not won the title of 'winter champions' for 13 seasons.
In the 70 one-division Serie A championships contested so far, the side that finished the first half of the season in first place has gone on to win the title 46 times (65.7%), while the team that finished in second place at the halfway point has won the Scudetto on 17 occasions (24.3%). Third-placed sides at the halfway stage have won the title on 4 occasions (5.7%), while fourth-placed teams have gone on to win it 3 times (4.3%). 'Winter champions' in each season with 18 teams in the Serie A have won the Scudetto 23 times out of 34 (67.6%).
Since the Italian top flight returned to being an 18- team championship in 1988/89, 10 teams have won the Scudetto after claiming the top spot at the halfway point. The 4 teams that failed to do so were Inter in 1990/91 (Scudetto to Sampdoria), Fiorentina in 1998/99 (Scudetto to AC Milan), Juventus in 1999/00 (Scudetto to Lazio) and Roma in 2001/02 (Scudetto to Juventus).
No Perugia goal in Serie A for 206 minutes
Perugia haven't scored in either of their last two Serie A matches, losing 1-0 to Juventus at Renato Curi stadium and drawing 0-0 away to Udinese. Miccoli was the last player to score for the Umbrians in the 64th minute of their 3-1 defeat away to Brescia. Perugia under Serse Cosmi have never gone three championship matches without scoring.
