Serie A Preview: Lazio vs Inter – Team News, Lineups & Prediction | OneFootball

Stadio Olimpico forms the backdrop for a heavyweight Serie A showdown between Lazio and Inter. Saturday’s clash will serve as a dress rehearsal ahead of next week’s Coppa Italia.

Despite heading toward their lowest Serie A finish since the 2018/19 season, Lazio could still avoid another trophyless campaign. Stranded in eighth in the standings, Maurizio Sarri’s men trail sixth-placed Como by a whopping 11 points ahead of the last three rounds.

However, the Biancocelesti will face Inter in the Coppa Italia final next week, seeking their first trophy in seven years. More importantly, winning that competition for the first time since 2019 would see Lazio qualify for next season’s Europa League.

Newly crowned Serie A champions Inter travel to Italy’s capital on the back of a 2-0 home win over Parma, which sealed the club’s 21st Scudetto. Furthermore, manager Cristian Chivu became only the fourth manager in Serie A history to lift the crown before turning 50.

Chivu also became the first foreign manager to hoist the Scudetto since Jose Mourinho. He will also look to equal another milestone set by the Special One back in 2010, aiming to become the first Nerazzurri boss to win a coveted domestic double since the Portuguese’s departure.

Match Preview

Lazio

Second-half goals from Gustav Isaksen and Tijjani Noslin saw Lazio come from behind to beat relegation-threatened Cremonese 2-1 away from home, extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to four games (W3, D1). Sarri’s men have now won five of their last eight league outings (D2, L1), testifying to their late-season resurgence.

However, it could be too little too late for the Biancocelesti, even though the ‘European train’ has not left the station just yet. Winning the Coppa Italia trophy would be a major success, but even losing the final would open up a continental spot for seventh place, currently occupied by Atalanta, who sit four points clear of Lazio.

Sarri can draw confidence from Lazio’s five-game unbeaten home streak in Serie A (W2, D3), with their last two draws in that sequence seeing them bounce back from conceding the opening goal. Ominously for the hosts, they have failed to find the back of the net in four of their six home league games against the current top seven this season (W2, L4).

Traveling to the capital in a buoyant mood, Inter will look to extend their eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions (W5, D3) and set themselves up nicely for the upcoming Coppa Italia showpiece. Chivu’s men have been firing on all cylinders all season, netting a league-high 82 goals so far, at least 23 more than any other side before the weekend.

However, they’ve been particularly prolific down the final stretch, scoring at least two goals in each of their last five league matches at an average of 3.2 per game. Still, there’s no room for complacency, especially after squandering a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at Torino on their last Serie A road trip, which remains the only blemish on an otherwise flawless record since the start of April.

Adding to this sentiment, Chivu’s charges have dropped points in four of their last five away league matches (D3, L1). Against this backdrop, they’ve been ruthless against Lazio lately, avoiding defeat in eight consecutive meetings with the Biancocelesti (W6, D2), including a comfortable 2-0 victory in November’s reverse fixture.

Team News

Apart from long-term absentees Ivan Provedel and Danilo Cataldi, Sarri should have the rest of his Lazio squad fit for this encounter. Indeed, Matteo Cancellieri returns from suspension, while captain Mattia Zaccagni started against Cremonese on Monday. Star defender Mario Gila and starting playmaker Nicolo Rovella have also regained full fitness.

On the other hand, Inter will be without Turkish midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu and prodigious striker Francesco Pio Esposito. Underperforming winger Luis Henrique is unlikely to feature despite overcoming a minor thigh injury, with Denzel Dumfries expected to start on the right wing.

Lazio vs Inter Potential Starting Lineups

Lazio (4-3-3): Motta; Marusic, Romagnoli, Provstgaard, Pellegrini; Basic, Rovella, Taylor; Isaksen, Noslin, Zaccagni.

Inter (3-5-2): J. Martinez; Bisseck, Acerbi, Augusto; Darmian, Frattesi, Zielinski, Sucic, Dimarco; Thuram, L. Martinez.

Lazio vs Inter Prediction

Neither side will be eager to overexert themselves in a match that arrives just days after Inter’s Serie A title celebrations and shortly before next week’s Coppa Italia final.

As a result, a low-scoring draw appears the most likely outcome, leaving both teams with plenty still to play for when they return to Stadio Olimpico four days later.