Spezia-Inter opens matchday 26

Inter remain unbeaten in their five Serie A meetings against Spezia, thanks to four wins and a draw; the Nerazzurri have scored 11 goals overall against the Ligurians in the competition, conceding only three. Spezia have not won any of their last seven Serie A matches (D3 L4), although they have drawn their most recent two, with Leonardo Semplici: the Ligurians have never drawn more successive games in the competition. Inter have won just one of their last three away league games (D2 L1), failing to score in the last two; they last failed to score in more successive away league matches in 2013 (three). Spezia have not scored a single goal in their last five Serie A home games; in the last 45 years, only two sides have played more consecutive home games in a season in the topflight without scoring: Parma (eight in 2020/21) and Sampdoria (seven, in 2022/23). Spezia are the only side across the Big-5 European leagues that haven’t had a substitute score in 2022/23, while only Napoli (12), Fiorentina (11) and Udinese (8) have had more substitutes score than Inter (7) in Serie A this season. Mbala Nzola has scored six goals in his last seven Serie A appearances, an average of 0.9 goals per match; in the first 14 games this term (five goals) he averaged 0.4 goals per game. Lautaro Martínez has been involved in six goals against Spezia in Serie A (three goals and three assists), more than against any other current Serie A side; overall, he has only been involved in more goals against Cagliari in the top-flgiht (nine: eight goals and one assist). (Photo LaPresse)