With a place in next season’s Champions League nearly in their grasp, Lazio look to add three more points to their Serie A total on Sunday at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza against Internazionale, who are in position for a spot in next season’s Conference League Qualifiers but have their eyes on an upgrade to the Europa League.
Lazio suffered a 1-0 defeat against Torino at Stadio Olimpico in their last league match to break an eight-match unbeaten streak, putting them in second place on 61 points with seven matches left.
The Biancocelesti trail first-placed Napoli by 17 points and lead fifth-placed Roma by five for a spot in the Champions League.
Internazionale are in sixth place on 54 points, two points behind fourth-placed Milan in the Champions League race with seven matches left.
Seventh-placed Atalanta, the first club outside of the Conference League Qualifiers place, are two points behind the Nerazzurri. Inter won their last Serie A match 3-0 at Stadio Carlo Castellani against Empoli, breaking a five-match winless streak (W0 D1 L4).
When the two sides last met in Serie A action, Lazio won 3-1 at Stadio Olimpico in August. Felipe Anderson struck first for the Biancocelesti in the 40th minute. Luis Alberto and Pedro also were on the scoresheet. Lautaro Martínez scored for the Nerazzurri in the 51st minute.
Ciro Immobile, Mattia Zaccagni, and Anderson have been Lazio’s main attacking threats this campaign, netting 10, 10, and seven times, respectively.
Martínez has been a game-changer for Inter this season. He leads the club with 15 goals, which is the second highest in the league’s scoring charts in 2022/2023, four of which have been the crucial first of the match.
At Stadio Giuseppe Meazza this season, Inter have secured 33 points (W11 L5) from a possible 48 on offer in 16 Serie A contests.
The Nerazzurri will be out to end a three-match home losing streak dating to March 19 against Juventus. Lazio have nine wins, four draws, and two losses away from home this season in league matches.
The Biancocelesti currently find themselves on a seven-match away unbeaten streak (W5 D2 L0). The last time they were beaten away was January 4 against Lecce.
In their last six league matches, Inter have won one, drawn one and lost four. Lazio, meanwhile, have won four, drawn one and lost one in their last six.
As midfield pair Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu are set to be available against Lazio despite suffering minor injuries on Wednesday, only centre-back Milan Skriniar will definitely sit out Inter’s weekend’s fixture.
After returning to the bench in midweek, Romelu Lukaku will hope to get the nod up front and build on his brilliant second half in Empoli, but the Belgian striker must battle it out with ex-Laziale Joaquin Correa, Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez for selection.
In terms of goalscoring, the latter is second only to Lazio captain Ciro Immobile in the last three Serie A seasons (53 compared to 57) and he needs just one more this year to record at least 15 goals in three consecutive league campaigns.
Having sustained back and rib injuries from a car accident in Rome last week, Immobile was initially expected to miss several more matches of a heavily disrupted season, but he appeared from the bench against former club Torino and could now start at San Siro.
That would most likely see Pedro demoted to a substitute role, with Felipe Anderson and Mattia Zaccagni flanking Lazio’s leading scorer.
Subject of much speculation ahead of the summer transfer window, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has found the net five times against Inter in Serie A and is on the verge of 100 goal involvements in Italy’s top flight – with 54 of his own and 45 assists. Meanwhile, Danilo Cataldi is back from suspension and should join the Serbian star in midfield.
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Correa, Lukaku
Lazio possible starting lineup:
Provedel; Marusic, Casale, Romagnoli, Hysaj; Milinkovic-Savic, Cataldi, Alberto; Anderson, Immobile, Zaccagn
