Inter Milan's Taremi & Pavard Start Against Lecce in Serie A Clash
Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi has opted for a starting lineup featuring Mehdi Taremi in attack and Benjamin Pavard in defence for their Serie A clash against Lecce on matchday two. Kick-off is scheduled for 8:45 PM CET.
Inzaghi has made two key changes to the team that drew with Genoa in their opening Serie A fixture. Firstly, Pavard replaces Yann Bisseck in the back three, joining Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni.
Yann Sommer retains his position in goal, while the wing-backs remain unchanged, with Federico Dimarco and Matteo Darmian continuing their roles from the Genoa game. Denzel Dumfries, despite speculation about a starting role, will once again begin the match on the bench.
In midfield, the trio of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Nicolo Barella all retain their starting spots. Davide Frattesi will again start on the bench.
Midfielder Piotr Zielinski, a summer arrival from Napoli, is fit enough to be included in the matchday squad for the first time in Serie A and will be available as a substitute.
The second major change comes in attack, where Iranian international Mehdi Taremi earns his first Serie A start. Taremi came off the bench against Genoa, but this time he will lead the line from the outset.
This change is necessitated by the absence of captain Lautaro Martinez, who is sidelined with a muscle injury. Taremi partners French international Marcus Thuram upfront for the Nerazzurri.
Defender Stefan de Vrij remains unavailable due to a thigh injury, while Canadian international Tajon Buchanan is still sidelined with a broken leg that will keep him out for the foreseeable future.
Here are the official starting lineups for Inter Milan vs Lecce:
Inter (3-5-2): Yann Sommer; Benjamin Pavard, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni; Matteo Darmian, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federicol Dimarco; Marcus Thuram, Mehdi Taremi.
Substitutes: Josep Martinez, Raffaele Di Gennaro, Yann Bisseck, Alessandro Fontanarosa, Denzel Dumfries, Carlos Augusto, Kristjan Asllani, Davide Frattesi, Piotr Zielinski, Joaquin Correa, Marko Arnautovic.
Coach: Simone Inzaghi.
Suspended: None.
Injured and unavailable: Stefan de Vrij, Lautaro Martinez, Tajon Buchanan.
Lecce (4-2-3-1): Falcone; Gendrey, Gaspar, Baschirotto, Gallo; Pierret, Ramadani; Banda, Rafia, Dorgu; Krstovic.
Substitutes: Samooja, Früchtl, Borbei, Pelmard, Berisha, Coulibaly, Helgason, McJannet, Oudin, Marchwinski, Brunete, Morente, Pierotti.
Coach: Gotti.
Suspended: None.
Injured and unavailable: Gonzalez, Kaba.
Referee: Di Marco.
Fourth official: Fourneau.
VAR: Abisso and Meraviglia.
This match promises to be a compelling encounter as Inter Milan look to bounce back from their opening draw, while Lecce seek to build upon their opening day victory.
