Lazio and Inter will hope to end each other’s unbeaten run in the league when the Nerazzurri visit the Italian capital to take on Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio. Who are the top football betting tips experts backing to come up with a win in this clash between two Serie A top cats? Are the visitors going to make it nine points out of nine? Or is it going to be the hosts who will taste their second victory of the season?
Lazio
After the topsy-turvy excitement of the opening day win against Bologna, Lazio played out a dull goalless draw at Torino. Sarri will now shift his focus on picking up another win on home soil against a side that did not win in their last three away trips to Lazio. If the Biancocelesti bags the bragging rights on Friday night, they will win the first two home games of the season for the first time in seven years.
However, that will not be a walk in the park as the man standing on the opposition dugout is no stranger to the Lazio dressing room. Simone Inzaghi managed Lazio for five years before taking the reins at Inter. His inside knowledge of Lazio will give the visitors a competitive advantage. But, the hosts will believe the roaring Stadio Olimpico crowd can make the difference for them. Not to mention, Inzaghi had to leave empty-handed in his first away trip to Lazio as the Inter Milan boss last season.
Luis Maximiano had to go down the tunnel only six minutes after the kickoff against Bologna, but the goalkeeper will get the chance to make amends for his error as he returns after serving a one-match red card suspension. Sergej Milinković-Savić will hope to add to his scoring tally against Inter Milan, against whom the midfielder has rattled the back of the net five times. Francesco Acerbi, who has been strongly linked with a move away to Inter, is not likely to feature in the fixture.
Inter Milan
Inter Milan had to wait for an injury-time Denzel Dumfries strike to claim all three points away at Lecce. But the Milan outfit had a way more comfortable time at San Siro playing Spezia last weekend. Romelu Lukaku continued his scoring run after returning on loan from Chelsea. Lautaro Martinez broke the deadlock before Hakan Çalhanoğlu, and Joaquín Correa put the icing on top of the cake in a 3-0 win.
The trip to Lazio will be a more authentic test of Inter’s capabilities as they will cross paths with one of the top four contenders of the division. Inter will be desperate to prove themselves away from the comfort of San Siro since they had to surrender the Scudetto to arch-rivals Milan last season because of their poor performance on the road.
Cagliari loanee Raoul Bellanova might have to sit out the match with an ankle problem. So, either Denzel Dumfries or ex-Man United man Matteo Darmian will start at right-back if Bellanova stays out of the matchday squad. Henrikh Mkhitaryan is the only confirmed absentee in the Inter Milan camp as he is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Our Prediction
Despite their recent struggles at Lazio, we will back Inter Milan to win the tie this time. Inter Milan have been excellent in their first two games, they have better bench options and are on the hunt for the Serie A title. All these factors point to an Inter Milan win at Stadio Olimpico. We predict a 2-1 victory for Inter Milan.
Our Tip
Inter Milan to win @ 1.95
