Inter Milan vs Bologna preview - Injury-hit Inter focussed on Bologna

Posted Sunday, March 10, 2013 by PA

Andrea Stramaccioni admitted Inter Milan's Europa League defeat against Tottenham on Thursday hurt but has urged his side to take their frustration out on Bologna.

Inter were blown away 3-0 by a Gareth Bale-inspired Spurs outfit in their last-16 first-leg clash at White Hart Lane and their hopes in that competition are now hanging by a thread.

Stramaccioni believes the Nerazzurri are capable of an astonishing comeback at the San Siro, but first they return to action in Serie A and the Inter coach is unsurprisingly not taking anything for granted.

"We'll do everything we can to turn it around, you can be sure of that," he told a press conference.

"We'll take to the pitch with the aim of overturning the result even though we know it's going to be extremely difficult.

"We've got an important game on Sunday and we're concentrating on that first. It hurts a lot but we have to move on and focus on Bologna."

Inter celebrate their 105th anniversary this weekend and aim to mark the occasion in style although the absence of suspended goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, who withstood numerous Tottenham raids on Thursday, represents a huge blow to Inter's chances of success.

Walter Samuel, Joel Obi, Luca Castellazzi, Matias Silvestre, Yuto Nagatomo, Gaby Mudingayi, Diego Milito and Fredy Guarin complete a hefty injury list.

Zdravko Kuzmanovic, Tommaso Rocchi, Dejan Stankovic and Ezequiel Schelotto were all unavailable against Tottenham and they will provide Stramaccioni with some fresh legs.

Bologna, meanwhile, are eager to avoid suffering a third defeat in one season to tomorrow's opponents, having lost 3-1 at home in the league before being edged out of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals in extra time.

But young defender Mathias Abero, who arrived from Nacional in July, feels the near miss of the most recent encounter will give the Rossoblu reason to be optimistic at the San Siro.

He told the Corriere dello Sport: "If we can concentrate 100 per cent we can play as well as we did against them in the Coppa Italia and in the reverse fixture.

"We are in great form, galvanised by two wins over Fiorentina and Cagliari, and the morale in the group is very high.

"I was overwhelmed with joy when I realised I had the opportunity to come here and I was more than happy when the call came from Bologna."

Head coach Stefano Pioli is without the services of influential midfielder Panagiotis Kone, who serves a one-match ban, while defender Cesare Natali continues to struggle with injury.

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