It may be the case that Inter sit in third place in Serie A while Palermo toil in eleventh, but the story changes when you narrow the season view to a closer view. Both teams have won just a single match out of their last five -- and Inter's win came in a friendly, the so-called "Trofeo Berlusconi" periodically held when nether Inter nor AC Milan have European football to play that week. Palermo at least won in the league, though they're now one of seven different teams to beat Bologna in eight matches.
Inter Milan vs. Palermo 2015 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Both of these Serie A teams have won just one of their last five matches. Who can turn that form around with a win today?
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Suffice it to say, neither Inter nor Palermo are doing terrible well of late. Inter's tailspin began when Fiorentina hung four goals on them in a top-of-the-table clash at the San Siro almost a month ago, and they've only managed two draws in the league since, neither of them especially impressive performances.
Palermo have struggled all season long, plagued by injuries and an inability to get key players in form at the same time. They’re getting healthy, though, and some of their big guns are starting to come around -- with Inter in a similar position, this could be a match where one or both teams “click” and things get exciting. Or, everyone could keep struggling and this match turns into a sloppy mess. Fortunately in Italy, the sloppy messes can be just as weird and watchable as the high-intensity slugfests, so this should be fun viewing.
Key player -- Steven Jovetic (Inter)
Inter have been heavily reliant on moments of individual brilliance so far this season, and no one on their team is capable of more of them than Jovetic. He’s Inter’s leading scorer for a reason, with considerable skill and quality up top -- but he’s also in ice-cold form, and hasn’t scored for Inter since August. They need Jovetic to be at his best again, because Palermo have a tough defense that won’t give Inter many openings in this match.
Key matchup -- Franco Vazquez (Palermo) vs. Gary Medel (Inter)
No matter if Medel plays in midfield or is required to play in defense again, he’s likely going to be seeing a lot of Vazquez in this match. The creative Palermo attacker creates numerous matchup problems for many defenders because of his almost innate ability to create space for himself, but Medel’s bulldog style and excellent instincts is a very good foil for that kind of trickery. This could be a fun little duel to watch as these two square off for battlefield, er, football pitch supremacy.
Palermo injuries and suspensions
Out: Uros Djurdjevic, Michel Morganella, Francisco Bolzoni
Inter Milan injuries and suspensions
Out: Nemanda Vidic In doubt: Jeison Murillo, Adem Ljajic
Most of the absences aren’t surprising -- Vidic, Morganella, and Bolzoni have yet to play a match this season, and Inter’s doubts of Murllo and Ljajic have been a factor for a few weeks now, albeit one Inter fans don’t much enjoy. If those two are fit to go, it will be a huge boost to the nerazzurri’s chances in this match.
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Stadio Renzo Barbera, Palermo, Italy
TV: beIN Sports (U.S. & Canada), Sky Calcio 1, Sky Sport 1 HD Italia (Italy), BT Sport Europe (U.K.), RAI International
Online: Fubo TV, beIN Sports Connect (U.S. & Canada), Sky Go Italia (Italy)
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