On Sunday, 19 May, Inter Milan will host Lazio in a crucial match for the 37th round of Serie A. While the Nerazzurri have already secured the Scudetto and might be taking it easy as the season wraps up, the capital team is eyeing a qualification spot for European competitions.
The match will take place at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan.
This season, Inter has been head and shoulders above all competitors in Serie A, effortlessly clinching the Scudetto. The Lombardy side has lost only 2 matches in the league, both against a struggling Sassuolo. In the last two rounds, without much left to play for, the hosts comfortably won against Torino (2-0) and Frosinone last weekend (5-0). Frattesi put Simone Inzaghi's side ahead in the first half, whilst Arnautović, Buchanan, Martínez, and Thuram scored after the break. This triumph brought Inter to 92 points for the season.
Winning both remaining matches would set a new club record, surpassing the 97 points achieved in the 2006-07 campaign. Moreover, Inter have kept a record-setting 21 clean sheets, and another would break the records held by Milan and Juventus. It’s no surprise that the Nerazzurri have been the best home team in Serie A, with 45 points from 18 home matches, scoring 43 and conceding just 10. Inter can rely on key centre-back Acerbi once more, with no other squad absentees.
Seventh in Serie A, six points clear of eighth-placed Fiorentina, Lazio have high hopes for Europa League qualification. Champions League qualification remains mathematically possible but is a long shot (trailing Roma by 4 points). The Bianconcelesti have been in good form since Igor Tudor took charge during the international break in March; since then, the Eagles have only lost to Roma in the derby (1-0) and secured five wins.
Recently, the visitors drew 2-2 at Monza, but last weekend they overcame Empoli 2-0. Lazio rank sixth in away points (26 from 18 matches). Only Bologna have conceded fewer goals (2) than Lazio in the last five rounds (3). Lazio are missing centre-back Gila and key Spanish playmaker Luis Alberto (5 goals and 7 assists), both in the medical room. Additionally, centre-back Romagnoli will be suspended due to yellow card accumulation.
In the first-round match, Inter won 2-0 against Lazio. However, in January, the Nerazzurri defeated the Bianconcelesti 3-0 in the semi-final of the domestic cup.
Inter are motivated to surpass their record for points in a season and have been almost invincible at home this campaign. Although Lazio have improved under Igor Tudor, they fall short in terms of personnel quality. I don't see how the Eagles can outshine the reigning champions, hence my bet is on a home win.
Inter concede only 0.5 goals per game at home and can count on a strong defence with Acerbi back. I bet on Lazio's individual total under 1 goal.
Inter will likely take the initiative, supported by their home crowd, and play more attacking football. I wager that the hosts will win at least six corners in the match.
In the two previous meetings this season, these teams accumulated a total of just three yellow cards per game. Thus, I bet on a total under 4.5 yellow cards.
I predict a 2-0 win for Inter.
# | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | G | PTS | |
1 | Napoli | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 19:9 | 26 | |
2 | Atalanta | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 31:15 | 25 | |
3 | Fiorentina | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 25:10 | 25 | |
4 | Inter | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 26:14 | 25 | |
5 | Lazio | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 25:14 | 25 | |
6 | Juventus | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 21:7 | 24 | |
7 | AC Milan | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 20:14 | 18 | |
8 | Bologna | 11 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 15:13 | 18 | |
9 | Udinese | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | -3 | 15:18 | 16 | |
10 | Empoli | 12 | 3 | 6 | 3 | -1 | 9:10 | 15 | |
11 | Torino | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | -3 | 15:18 | 14 | |
12 | AS Roma | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | -3 | 14:17 | 13 | |
13 | Parma | 12 | 2 | 6 | 4 | -2 | 16:18 | 12 | |
14 | Verona | 12 | 4 | 0 | 8 | -10 | 17:27 | 12 | |
15 | Como | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -10 | 13:23 | 10 | |
16 | Cagliari | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -10 | 12:22 | 10 | |
17 | Genoa | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -13 | 9:22 | 10 | |
18 | Lecce | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -16 | 5:21 | 9 | |
19 | Monza | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -5 | 10:15 | 8 | |
20 | Venezia | 12 | 2 | 2 | 8 | -10 | 11:21 | 8 | |
1 | Lazio | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14:6 | 16 | |
2 | Napoli | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11:5 | 15 | |
3 | Atalanta | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20:8 | 15 | |
4 | Fiorentina | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14:6 | 14 | |
5 | Inter | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 16:9 | 14 | |
6 | Juventus | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9:3 | 13 | |
7 | Udinese | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8:6 | 12 | |
8 | AC Milan | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10:4 | 10 | |
9 | AS Roma | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9:7 | 9 | |
10 | Verona | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10:12 | 9 | |
11 | Lecce | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5:13 | 8 | |
12 | Bologna | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4:3 | 7 | |
13 | Torino | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5:5 | 7 | |
14 | Empoli | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1:4 | 6 | |
15 | Cagliari | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7:14 | 6 | |
16 | Venezia | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6:7 | 6 | |
17 | Parma | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8:10 | 5 | |
18 | Como | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7:10 | 5 | |
19 | Genoa | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 6:12 | 4 | |
20 | Monza | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5:9 | 3 | |
1 | Napoli | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8:4 | 11 | |
2 | Fiorentina | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11:4 | 11 | |
3 | Inter | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10:5 | 11 | |
4 | Juventus | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12:4 | 11 | |
5 | Bologna | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11:10 | 11 | |
6 | Atalanta | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 11:7 | 10 | |
7 | Lazio | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11:8 | 9 | |
8 | Empoli | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8:6 | 9 | |
9 | AC Milan | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10:10 | 8 | |
10 | Torino | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10:13 | 7 | |
11 | Parma | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8:8 | 7 | |
12 | Genoa | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3:10 | 6 | |
13 | Como | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 6:13 | 5 | |
14 | Monza | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5:6 | 5 | |
15 | Udinese | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 7:12 | 4 | |
16 | AS Roma | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5:10 | 4 | |
17 | Cagliari | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5:8 | 4 | |
18 | Verona | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7:15 | 3 | |
19 | Venezia | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 5:14 | 2 | |
20 | Lecce | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0:8 | 1 |
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