Two teams that have been haunted by late goals in recent weeks will face each other at the Arena Garibaldi in Pisa, and that is where frustration could finally turn into momentum. On Sunday, 16th-placed Pisa, with 10 points so far in the relegation battle, welcomes fourth-placed Inter, who are just one point behind Napoli with 24 points. Pisa has been waiting for a win for five league games, and the 2-2 draw in Sassuolo felt like a defeat after a late goal in stoppage time. Inter recently lost the derby 0-1 and 1-2 in Madrid in the Champions League, both times due to goals conceded in stoppage time, which points to mental problems in the final stages. In terms of personnel, Pisa will be without creative player Stengs until Christmas after he underwent groin surgery, Marin is questionable, but Albiol is back after coming on as a substitute against Sassuolo. At Inter, Mkhitaryan could return to the squad after more than a month, Dumfries is still out, and Luis Henrique is expected to start on the right. On paper, Inter has significantly greater individual quality, more squad depth, and international experience, so Pisa will defend compactly and rely on quick counterattacks and set pieces. The key will be whether Pisa can avoid conceding early goals and maintain their concentration until the final whistle, while Inter must solve their problems in the closing minutes and find creative solutions against deep-lying hosts.
- Venue: Arena Garibaldi – Stadio Romeo Anconetani, Pisa
- Date and time: November 30, 2025, 3:00 p.m.
- Competition: Serie A (Matchday 13)
From a betting perspective, Inter remain the clear favorites despite their recent setbacks, with market odds of around 1.3. The team entered this critical phase on the back of a series of three competitive wins, while Pisa are putting up resistance with four draws from five games, but are less effective in attack and often unable to hold onto leads against stronger teams. The main tip is to bet on Inter to win with a handicap of 0 or 0/minus 0.25, depending on the bookmaker, and on both teams to score: No, because Inter’s defensive organization is stable at its core despite the derby defeat, while Pisa has lost creativity in the final third due to the absence of Stengs until Christmas and Akinsanmiro and has missed chances in important games. The statistics point to an Inter victory with the possibility of a clean sheet. Those looking for more risk can consider over 2.5 goals, as Pisa’s defensive weaknesses, with two goals conceded in three of their last four games and several home games with goals at both ends, provide arguments for a more open game, even if this tip remains more speculative, as Inter have kept several clean sheets at home in the Champions League group stage, even against strong opponents. Key figures: Inter have won their last three competitive games, while Pisa have drawn four of their last five league games, scoring in 80% of those games but frequently losing leads. Without Stengs and Akinsanmiro, they lack creativity in midfield, and in around 80% of Pisa’s home games so far, both teams have scored, while they have failed to score against top teams such as Lazio.
Pisa Form & Record Check
Pisa is in a phase where it appears fundamentally stable defensively, with four draws from five league games and most recently a 1-0 win against Cremonese to back that up, but offensively it often lacks punch and the clear will to decide games. With 10 points, Alberto Gilardino’s team is in 16th place in the table and shares the relegation zone with Lecce. The 2-2 draw in Sassuolo was symbolic. Pisa took an early lead, even turned the game around to 2-1 in the closing stages, and then conceded the equalizer in stoppage time. Such performances show that the team is close, but often lacks the final push to win games. Their last away win in Serie A dates back to March 1991. It is also striking that Pisa goes into halftime with a 0-0 or a draw in most games, an indication of defensive organization, but also of a lack of creativity and power in the first 45 minutes, even against top opponents such as Milan, Lazio, or Torino. On a positive note, Pisa has not lost in its last five games, scoring in four of them and holding its own defensively against strong opponents on several occasions, which speaks for a well-organized basic system. The personnel situation in midfield remains problematic, with Marin injured and his return uncertain, Akinsanmiro out with a shoulder injury, Stengs out until Christmas after groin surgery, and Esteves and Lusuardi also doubtful, significantly limiting Gilardino’s options for substitutions and adjustments in tight games. The conclusion is clear: Pisa needs more depth and creativity in the center to turn its stable defense into regular wins. In the short term, conservative lineups with a focus on stability are understandable, but in the medium term, personnel reinforcements or tactical variations with a second creative midfielder or more variable wings would be useful to increase efficiency in front of goal.
Pisa are likely to start with their usual 4-4-2 system, but they are missing several players in midfield. Stengs is in rehab after his groin operation, Akinsanmiro is out with a shoulder injury and Marin is also unlikely to be available, so a midfield quartet of Touré, Piccinini, Aebischer and Léris can be expected. In attack, the duo of Tramoni and Nzola looks likely, while in defense a back four of Calabresi, Caracciolo, Canestrelli, and Angori is probable in front of goalkeeper Semper.
Inter Form & Record Check
After a strong Champions League phase with four wins, Inter are currently going through a difficult period, with two narrow defeats in quick succession: a 0-1 loss in the derby against AC Milan, in which Çalhanoğlu missed a penalty, and a 1-2 defeat at Atlético Madrid, where Giménez scored with a header in the 93rd minute. The team continued to show offensive strength, but revealed defensive weaknesses in the final stages and on set pieces. Inter had previously enjoyed a good run, winning three league games, including 2-0 against Lazio, 2-1 in Verona, and 2-1 against Kairat Almaty. In Serie A, the team is in fourth place with 24 points, level on points with Bologna and just one point behind Napoli. Interestingly, there have been no draws in the last five competitive games, with the matches ending clearly, and in four of these encounters Inter scored in both halves, so the offense is basically working. Nevertheless, Beppe Bergomi points to structural problems, such as insufficient physical presence and vulnerability in the final minutes and from set pieces, which could have been in place for some time. On a positive note from a personnel perspective, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has returned to team training after more than a month and could be an option against Pisa. On the negative side, Denzel Dumfries is out with ankle problems and is not expected to return until December 9 against Liverpool, so Luis Henrique is likely to start on the right side again. The coming weeks will show whether the two setbacks are just blips in an otherwise stable development or whether there are deeper problems in the system, because the offensive potential is undisputed, but defensively and especially in the closing stages, Inter must become more stable in order to compete for top places in the league and internationally in the long term.
Inter’s projected lineup is a German text that could be edited in various ways, such as a short summary of the key points such as formation, absences, and key players, a complete translation into another language, an editorial revision for an article, or a presentation of the starting lineup in list form or as a simple graphic. A tactical analysis with possible alternatives and the effects of absences, for example of Dumfries, would also be possible. Ultimately, the only decisive factor is which of these options is desired.
Pisa – Inter Head-to-head comparison & statistics
The head-to-head record between Pisa and Inter Milan is modest. More recently, the two teams have only faced each other in a friendly in 2024, which ended 1-1. Pisa took a 1-0 lead in the first half, Inter equalized after the break, and overall the game remained low-scoring with neither team able to clearly dominate. However, few reliable conclusions can be drawn from this friendly match for today’s league duel. The conditions have changed, and the squads, motivation, and competitive nature of a friendly match are simply not comparable to Serie A. On a positive note, both teams played offensively in this match, but this result does not provide a clear trend or prediction for the current encounter.
