Stadio Olimpico sets the stage for Saturday’s mouth-watering Serie A encounter between familiar foes Lazio and Milan. Both sides have made indifferent starts to the new league campaign and will seek solace before the upcoming international break.
New Lazio manager Marco Baroni couldn’t have hoped for a better touchline debut. The new-look Biancocelesti thumped newly-promoted Venezia 3-1 on this ground on the opening weekend. However, a 10-man Udinese gave them a harsh reality check on day two.
Gustav Isaksen’s 95th-minute strike was a mere consolation for Lazio as the Friulian outfit claimed a 2-1 victory at the Bluenergy Stadium last Saturday. Baroni stated in the aftermath that the loss ‘should serve as a lesson’ for his team and will hope for a reaction against Milan.
Unlike his Lazio counterpart, Paulo Fonseca’s managerial start at San Siro has been an unmitigated disaster. After an unanswered brace past the 88-minute mark rescued a point for the Rossoneri in a 2-2 home draw against Torino on matchday one, Parma stunned Milan last weekend.
Conceding on either side of halftime at Stadio Ennio Tardini saw last season’s Sere A runners-up slump to a 2-1 defeat to the newcomers, heightening the pressure on the Portuguese tactician early on.
Fonseca’s disastrous start has led to comparisons between him and Marco Giampaolo, who was infamously relieved of his duties in October 2019 after only a few months in charge.
Keen to avoid the fate of the veteran Italian coach, Fonseca cannot afford another winless outing, with Milan turning to their imperious recent form against Lazio for inspiration.
Match Preview
Lazio
Since a remarkable 4-0 triumph at this venue in January 2023, Lazio have lost three consecutive league matches against Milan without scoring, including a 1-0 loss in this corresponding fixture in March. Another defeat would see them complete a ‘quad’ of defeats against the Rossoneri for the first time since 2005.
However, there’s a silver lining. The abovementioned success against Venezia extended Lazio’s unbeaten streak in home Serie A games to six (W5, D1), accounting for their longest such run since going undefeated in 19 matches straight between December 2020 and November 2021 (W17, D2).
That stretch included a 3-0 win against upcoming opposition Milan. Since the last four Serie A showdowns between Lazio and the Rossoneri in the capital have fluctuated between wins and losses for each team (W2, L2), the hosts are eager to maintain that trend after losing 1-0 a few months ago.
Milan
Milan look up the creek without a paddle in the early goings. The visitors’ porous backline capitulated twice apiece against Torino and Parma and was lucky not to concede more at Tardini last time out. Meanwhile, their star-studded frontline seemed disoriented in the first two Serie A rounds.
Disjointed attacking showings, compounded with well-documented defensive woes, put Milan on the brink of an unwanted piece of history. The 19-time Serie A champions stare down the barrel of the club’s worst league start in the three-points-per-win era and their worst overall since 1946/47.
Therefore, Fonseca can ill-afford another slip-up. Milan’s free-scoring form on the road offers the traveling fans comfort, as they’ve found the back of the net on 20 of their last 21 league travels.
Team News
Defensive duo Nicolo Casale and Mario Gila are still unavailable for selection. But there’s a chance Luca Pellegrini could make the bench despite dealing with a minor fitness issue. Lazio boss Baroni will likely turn to Patric and Alessio Romagnoli to fill the void at the back. Also, Boulaye Dia could displace Taty Castellanos up front.
As for Milan, Alvaro Morata, Alessandro Florenzi, and Marco Sportiello are out of the squad, with Malick Thiaw facing a race against time to put himself at Fonseca’s disposal. Strahinja Pavlovic should retain his place in the heart of the defense after a spirited performance against Parma, while Youssouf Fofana could take Yunus Musah’s spot in the double pivot.
Lazio vs Milan Potential Line-ups
Lazio (4-3-3): Ivan Provedel; Manuel Lazzari, Patric, Alessio Romagnoli, Adam Marusic; Matteo Guendouzi, Matias Vecino, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru; Tijjani Noslin, Taty Castellanos, Mattia Zaccagni.
Milan (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Davide Calabria, Fikayo Tomori, Strahinja Pavlovic, Theo Hernandez; Youssouf Fofana, Tijjani Reijnders; Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Rafael Leao; Noah Okafor.
Lazio vs Milan Prediction
Neutrals may be in for a treat at the Olimpico. Both teams have delivered high-scoring contests at the beginning of the new season, while Milan’s last ten away league matches have averaged 3.7 goals per game.
However, it’s hard to back any team for a win with conviction. We’d give Milan a slight advantage despite an embarrassing start.
Prediction: Milan to Win
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |