Locked together in an intense Serie A title race, Lazio and Inter go head-to-head in an early Scudetto six-pointer at Stadio Olimpico.
There’s nothing but goal difference to separate the teams ahead of the kick-off, with both trailing table-topping Atalanta by six points.
Atalanta’s 1-0 triumph at Cagliari on Saturday has ramped up the pressure on Lazio and Inter to get into the win column. Marco Baroni’s men have frequently been there this season. A 3-1 win at Ajax in the UEFA Europa League last midweek solidified their momentum after beating Napoli in a mouth-watering doubleheader.
Last weekend’s 1-0 victory at Stadio Diego Maradona reignited Lazio’s spirits following a disappointing 3-1 defeat at newcomers Parma. Gustav Isaksen’s late winner on a rainy night in Naples restored confidence around the Biancocelesti camp amid hot pursuit of only a third Serie A title in the club’s history.
Inter will be out to hinder Lazio’s chances of returning to the throne for the first time since 1999/20, seeking redemption for a heart-wrenching defeat at Bayer Leverkusen last Tuesday. Nordi Mukiele’s 90th-minute goal denied the Nerazzurri a piece of Champions League history, knocking them down from a five-game unbeaten start (W4, D1).
Simone Inzaghi’s men were minutes away from becoming the first Champions League team to go the first six matches of a new campaign without conceding. It was also Inter’s first scoring blank on the road in five games, heightening the pressure on Lautaro Martinez and his teammates to get a result in Rome.
In addition to long-term absentee Alessio Romagnoli, Lazio will be without their leading goalscorer, Taty Castellanos, for accumulated yellow cards. On the bright side, Luca Pellegrini and Patric have passed fit for this meeting after minor fitness problems forced them to withdraw in Amsterdam.
As for Inter, Francesco Acerbi and Benjamin Pavard remain on the sidelines. It means ex-Lazio star Stefan de Vrij and 24-year-old Yann Bisseck will join forces with Alessandro Bastoni at the back. After commencing on the bench against Leverkusen, Nicolo Barella and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will likely regain their places in the midfield.
Lazio (4-2-3-1): Provedel; Lazzari, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares; Guendouzi, Rovella; Isaksen, Dia, Zaccagni; Noslin.
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram.
