PA Media/dpa
London
Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi can become the fastest head coach to secure 200 Serie A victories if his side can triumph at Lecce on Sunday.
The former Italy striker secured his very first win as a manager in the Italian top flight when his Lazio team triumphed 3-0 at Palermo in April 2016 but most of his subsequent successes have been at Inter, where he took charge in June 2021.
Under Inzaghi’s supervision the Nerazzurri won the Scudetto in 2023-24, twice claimed the Coppa Italia and three times the Supercoppa Italiana while also reaching the Champions League final in 2023, losing to Manchester City.
This season Inter overcame an early wobble to put together a 15-game unbeaten run - containing 12 wins - in the league to stay hot on the heels of Antonio Conte’s table-topping Napoli.
Lecce, struggling on the fringes of the relegation zone after a damaging 4-1 defeat at Cagliari last time out, provide Inzaghi perfect opportunity to outstrip the achievements of other great Serie A coaches like Massimiliano Allegri, Carlo Ancelotti, Fabio Capello, Giovanni Trapattoni and Luciano Spalletti by hitting the 200-win mark inside 332 matches.
Davide Frattesi could make his long-awaited return to Inter’s Serie A starting line-up at the Stadio Via del Mare following a three-month dip in form after his brace at Empoli in late October.
The midfielder - linked with a move to Roma in the January transfer window - impressed with a second-half cameo in the midweek Champions League win at Sparta Prague and could be rewarded by figuring from the first minute in Puglia.
Hakan Calhanoglu continues to be absent with a muscle problem but Inzaghi has been impressed with his Albanian understudy Kristjan Asllani.
“He’s showing great personality,” he said. “It’s not easy for anyone to replace Calhanoglu, but he’s doing it well, with consistent performances. I had no doubts about him; he has everyone’s trust, and we’re happy to have him.”
Raffaele Di Gennaro, Joaquin Correa and Francesco Acerbi are also on the treatment table while Lecce are missing Lameck Banda, Medon Berisha, Kialonda Gaspar and Hamza Rafia due to injury.
Patrick Dorgu, meanwhile, has reportedly been the subject of two bids from Manchester United this month but the full-back is key to Marco Giampaolo’s system at Lecce and the southern club are likely to demand in excess of £30 million for the 20-year-old.
Lecce’s results improved during the autumn but they have lost three of their last five, conceding 11 goals in that run.
