Lazio vs Inter Milan
Lazio are performing way below their expectations so far this season, but they can get back on track starting with a home win against league leaders Inter Milan on Sunday evening.
The Biancocelesti were supposed to be a top four contender prior to the start of the 2023-24 campaign. However, right now they are in 10th place in the Serie A table, although they’re only four points behind fifth-seeded Bologna and fourth-seeded AS Roma.
Maurizio Sarri’s men will host an in-form Inter Milan squad that hasn’t lost a league match since September 28, although there’s also pressure on the visitors to win since Juventus are lurking behind them.
SBOTOP football fans will certainly enjoy this fixture since it has the potential to be yet another barnburner filled with numerous Serie A 2023 highlights.
Talking Points
Veterans getting it done for Lazio
Lazio may be down, but they’re not out, especially with their veteran players showing everyone that they still have it. And that is evident in their scoring chart this season.
Ciro Immobile, 33, is once again in the running for this season’s Capocannoniere, an award that he has won four times in his career. Lazio’s No. 9 currently has seven goals to lead the Biancocelesti.
Then right behind Immobile are Luis Alberto (31), Pedro (36), and Matias Vecino (32), as the three of them have combined for nine goals (three goals each) and two assists so far this term.
Furthermore, Felipe Anderson has been their best playmaker, with a team-high six assists. The 30-year-old is easily one of their most versatile players since he can be effective either as an attacking midfielder, winger, or even as a striker.
On the other side of the pitch, Lazio were handed a major boost, as Alessio Romagnoli (28) and Patric (30) are back in the squad after being out of action due to a calf injury and flu-like symptoms, respectively, recently.
After going winless in November, Lazio picked it up in December with back-to-back 1-0 wins against Cagliari in Serie A and Genoa in the Coppa Italia Round of 16, and they were held to a 1-1 draw against Hellas Verona.
However, they lost their final Champions League group stage match against Atletico Madrid (2-0) last night, so it is back to the drawing board for Maurizio Sarri and co.
Key defencive absences for Inter Milan
Inter Milan are on top of the Serie A pile because they’ve been solid on both sides of the pitch, particularly on the defencive end, where they’ve only conceded seven league goals this year.
And they have recorded 10 victories with a clean sheet, which is currently the most in Europe’s top five leagues and at least two more than any other team.
This is all impressive since they’ve been shorthanded at the back for a while now, with the likes of Stefan de Vrij, Benjamin Pavard, and Denzel Dumfries sidelined.
The aforementioned trio is not expected to be available on Sunday, so Simone Inzaghi will lean on Alessandro Bastoni, Francesco Acerbi, and Matteo Darmian to continue to provide cover for the evergreen Yann Sommer.
History
Inter Milan haven’t beaten Lazio on the road in Serie A since their 3-0 win back in October 2018, when Mauro Icardi (twice) and Marcelo Brozovic found the back of the net. In their last four league meetings at the Stadio Olimpico, Lazio have won three times and drawn once.
Maurizio Sarri has yet to lose against Inter Milan in Serie A, with five wins and two draws as Lazio’s head coach.
Both teams exchanged 3-1 wins last season, with Lazio winning their first meeting in August 2022 and Inter Milan prevailing in the reverse fixture last April.
This season, Inter Milan have won at least 12 of their first 15 Serie A games. They’ve done this previously in 2006-07, 2017-18, and 2019-20.
Betting Tip
The Serie A 2023 odds like Inter Milan’s chances to come away with three valuable points this weekend, and they’re likely going to do it by scoring a bunch of goals.
Inter Milan are 1.78 favourites to win, whereas Lazio are at 4.18 odds, and a draw is at 3.34 in the 1X2 market. Moreover, Total Goals 2-3 is installed at 1.93, while Total Goals 4-6 has a higher value at 3.55.
Correct Score 3-1 for Inter Milan, the result of their most recent meeting in April, is pegged at 15.00. However, Lazio fans will be salivating for a Correct Score of 3-1 in their favour given its staggering offer of 55.00.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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