Serie A: Lazio to Side-Step a Valentine's Day Massacre in Milan

Inter Milan vs Lazio

All eyes will be on Serie A this Sunday as the Italian match of the weekend kicks off at the San Siro.

There were explosives the last time these two teams met and both are desperate for three points to keep their title and top four ambitions on track.

Antonio Conte’s Inter are chasing down AC Milan at the top of the league, while the visitors won’t have ruled themselves out just yet having embarked on a six-match winning run.

With Inter and Lazio both in fine form, we can expect quality at the San Siro and some more fireworks!

Talking Points

Conte must keep his nerve

I Nerazzurri are just two points behind their city rivals at the top of Serie A, but it isn’t a two-horse race.

Juventus seem to have recovered from a blip and are hungry to win a record 10^th successive Scudetto. The Old Lady sits in third place with a game in hand, which is five points behind Inter.

A defeat to Lazio would deal a massive blow to Inter since it would open the door to the reigning champions as well as keeping I Biancoceleste in the hunt.

Inter are out of the Coppa Italia, exiting to Juventus in a 2-1 aggregate defeat after playing out a goalless draw in the second leg in Turin.

Conte reacted angrily by showing his middle finger to Juve chairman Andrea Agnelli and the former Chelsea boss looks to be tightly wounded at the moment.

That could be a good thing of course, but Conte must retain his cool if he is to guide his team to a Scudetto.

Wide man Achraf Hakimi is a key player, contributing six goals and four assists so far. And if the match turns into a battle, Conte will hope his midfield enforcer Arturo Vidal has recovered from a knee injury.

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Lazio’s league ambitions

With five wins from the last six in all competitions and six on the bounce in Serie A, I Biancoceleste will be fired up for this game.

Their one recent defeat was a Coppa Italia exit at the hands of Atalanta, and they responded by beating Gian Piero Gasperini’s team in Serie A four days later.

Simone Inzaghi’s team went on a phenomenal run in the 2019/20 season but were cruelly halted by the pandemic, and they look in that kind of form again.

One to watch is midfield powerhouse Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. Meanwhile, defender Adam Marusic is also having a fine season at the back while contributing in offence with four assists.

The race for the Capocannoniere

Inter Milan vs Lazio brings together two of the hottest striking properties in world football.

Romelu Lukaku is Inter’s top scorer with 14 goals and that tally is matched by Ciro Immobile after he bagged his 14^th for Lazio in a 1-0 win over Cagliari last week.

Both are in with a good chance of winning Italy’s Golden Boot as well as being two to watch at Euro 2020.

But while Immobile is clearly the main man in Lazio, Lukaku has a good partner in Lautaro Martinez, who has weighed in with 10 goals for Inter.

Serie A: Can Ciro Immobile help Lazio to beat Inter Milan at home? — Ciro Immobile celebrates after scoring Lazio’s first goal against AS Roma

History

The head-to-head Serie A results could hardly be closer as Lazio hold a wafer-thin advantage. Of the 62 games played since 1993, I Biancoceleste has won 21 to Inter’s 20 and there have been 21 draws.

The last time the two teams met it was a bad-tempered affair, so we shouldn’t expect much love in this fixture.

Lazio and Inter played out a 1-1 draw in Rome in October where Milinkovic-Savic cancelled out Martinez’ opener, but both teams ended up with 10 men as Ciro Immobile and Stefano Sensi saw red when tempers flared out of control.

Last season, this corresponding fixture ended in a 1-0 victory for Inter Milan and they continue to be impressive at the San Siro despite the absence of fans.

With a home record this season of 8-1-1, they have won 12 of their last 17 home games, losing just the one.

But with their six-match winning streak, Lazio will head north without fear.

It’s going to be a hard-fought battle so let’s take a look at the Serie A betting odds and make a call.