SOUTHAMPTON hit the San Siro on Thursday night. Can they take out Inter in the Europa League? Chris Graham (@chrisgraham79) shares his view.
Inter Milan v Southampton | Thursday 20:05 | BT Sport Europe
Those dark days at the turn of the last decade must feel like a lifetime away for Southampton fans this Thursday when they line up in the San Siro against Inter.
The South Coast residents will feel they have a chance when you consider they have four more points than their Italian rivals after two Europa League group matches.
A large cloud hangs over Frank De Boer's side at the moment. Internal troubles with captain Mauro Icardi and a poor run of just one win from their last five matches is causing frustration with the club's supporters.
Inter lie 11th in the Serie A table after a 2-1 loss to Cagliari on Sunday and they famously lie bottom of Group K after two poor defeats to Sparta Prague and Hapoel Beer Sheva. The situation is a mess.
So it must be daunting for the great Inter side to come up against a Southampton side who have found their mojo again after a sloppy start to the season.
New manager Claude Puel has his feet well and truly under the desk and Saints have won five of their last seven matches and find themselves up in eight place in the table.
One minor quibble would be that their fixture list has been fairly soft during this run but it's surely bulked them up with confidence heading into this match.
Seven seasons ago Inter won the Champions League while Southampton finished seventh in League One. Now though in 2016 Saints are as short as 2/1 to win in the San Siro, Any sense that bookmakers would be tricked by the team names has proved fanciful.
I'd be surprised if there were a lot of goals on Thursday. Inter can't afford to go gung-ho in their current position while there's no reason why Southampton should not be anything other than measured.
Under 2.5 Goals looks generous at 11/12 with Marathon Bet. Southampton have conceded just one goal in their last seven games and protection of that record looks possible with the clouds hovering over Inter.
As a small interest I'll also get involved with the 0-0 scoreline at a fairly chunky 21/2 with Marathon Bet also. That would surely suit the Saints.
Best Bets
Inter v Southampton – Under 2.5 Goals (11/12 Marathon Bet)
Inter v Southampton – 0-0 Draw (21/2 Marathon Bet)
