Serie A: Easter Egg-Stravaganza in Store

Inter Milan vs AS Roma

There’ll be those who tell you that the Serie A title race is effectively over. I’m one of those journalists who feels the same.

However, I will also acknowledge that there is rarely room for complacency and, with AC Milan six points off the pace, leaders Inter cannot afford too many slip-ups as they look to claim back the crown they lost to Napoli 11 months ago.

Will they manage Serie A 2026 highlights or can Roma, chasing a place in next season’s Champions League, upset them in the San Siro again this Easter Day?

Talking Points

Cristian Chivu’s men have had wriggle room at the top for a few months now and had been pretty consistent but a derby defeat to neighbours Milan, coupled with an embarrassing Euro exit to the minnows Bodo/Glimt, and recent draws with Atalanta and Fiorentina, means the Nerazzurri have gone three league games without a win for the first time since April 2023.

Roma are not in the best of form themselves though. They were sent packing from the Europa League by Bologna and had struggled domestically before ending a five match winless streak last time out with a narrow victory over Lecce.

That 1-0 success left them alongside Juventus on 54 points, just three behind fourth-placed Como in a frantic race for Italy’s final Champions League spot – but they now face a difficult run-in.

Their preparations have not been helped by the absence of Wesley who suffered a muscular injury on Brazil duty and will be out of action for at least the next fortnight.

Matias Soule unavailable as AS Roma prepare to take on Inter Milan in Serie A — Matias Soule during the Serie A clash between AS Roma and US Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico

Forward duo Paulo Dybala and Artem Dovbyk are still out, as is the match-winner in this fixture last season, Matias Soule, while Evan Ferguson is still sidelined with an ankle problem.

For Inter, captain Lautaro Martinez has been much missed and he could be back in the squad for this one. Yann Bisseck and Carlos Augusto have both been ruled out, though, and former Lazio defender Francesco Acerbi may also start in place of the former.

At the start of the year, I did say that Roma (who actually earned more league points than any other Italian club in the calendar year of 2025) could stay the course longer than most title challengers.

That has not proved to be the case but once they have a full squad again, they could be well worth a watch.

After a few days in which the Italian game has come under the microscope after the unthinkable, this match-up could be just the tonic it needs.

History

Since their very first meeting in the 1929/30 season, these teams have met in the Italian top flight, the Coppa Italia, the former UEFA Cup and the Supercoppa.

Overall, Inter have triumphed 95 times, while there have been 60 Roma successes and 57 draws.

Only once in the decade after 2009 did Inter win in the Stadio Olimpico. They have now won their last five visits there.

That included last term when Martinez scored the only goal of the contest and earlier this term when Ange-Yoan Bonny netted the only goal just six minutes in.

Roma enjoyed victory in between those two meetings, in April last year when Soule’s first half strike proved decisive.

You have to go back to October 2016 for the last time Roma defeated Inter on home soil

Then, an own goal won the day after Edin Dzeko and Ever Banega had traded goals.