Prediction: Inter vs Lazio

Verdict: Both teams to score – yes

Best Odds: 4/6

Bookmaker: bet365

Both Inter and Lazio will be looking to put their recent Serie A struggle behind them as they lock horns in the Coppa Italia quarter-final on Thursday evening.

Inter

Inter Milan are suffering from a worrying dip in form which saw them fail to win any of their last two matches without even finding the net. A goalless draw against Sassuolo was followed by a 1-0 beating at Torino which put an end to Nerazzurri’s seven-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Luciano Spaletti will now shift his team’s focus to the Coppa Italia as Inter eyes a chance to win their first piece of silverware since 2011. It was the year Nerazzurri last lifted the Coppa Italia after beating Palermo in the final. Should they manage to overcome the semifinal hurdle on Thursday, Inter will schedule a city derby in the next stage of the competition against Milan who defeated Napoli 2-0 on Tuesday night. Inter have fond memories of their duels against Lazio and it was back in October 2018 that they produced one of the finest displays this season in a comfortable 3-0 win over Biancocelesti in Rome. Inter are unbeaten in last four matches against Lazio and will head into the forthcoming fixture in high spirits.

Team News

The hosts will have an almost full-strength squad to count on for the Lazio showdown with Sime Vrsaljko and Stefan De Vrij being the only two confirmed absentee with their injuries.

Keita Balde is back to his full fitness but is likely to be given an extended period on the sidelines. Ultimately, the new signing Cedric Soares could be given a debut against Lazio.

Lazio

Back-to-back defeats at the hands of Napoli and Juventus, respectively, could be taken for another proof that Lazio are still some way off being perceived as equal with Serie A top-four challengers. Consecutive setbacks saw Lazio slip down to a disappointing eighth place in the standings after 21 rounds and it’s fair to say Biancocelesti face a daunting challenge of matching the last season’s standings.

Lazio missed out on the Champions League football by an inch last year but getting anything out of the current campaign seems like a mission impossible at this moment. The Coppa Italia could be a consolation prize for Inzaghi’s men and their only real chance of lifting a trophy this year. Lazio boast a rather positive record at Inter of late knowing they only lost once in their last five trips to the city of Milano. Beating Inter and reaching the Coppa Italia will be a difficult task, however, knowing that visitors are likely to be without one of their most influential players.

Team News

Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is out of contention due to the yellow card he picked up against Juventus.

Adam Marusic, Patric and Luiz Felipe are on the injury list.

Key Factors to Consider

• Lazio only won 1 of their last 6 matches on the road
• Biancocelesti, however, only lost 1 of their last 5 trips to Inter
• Both sides are winless in their last two matches
• Inter failed to score a single goal in any of their last two games
• Nerazzurri are coming off two successive wins over Lazio in 2018

Conclusion

Inter might hold the upper hand against Lazio when it comes to head-to-head records but there will be little separating the two sides ahead of their Coppa Italia semifinal encounter. Both teams are looking to earn a chance to fight for their first – and highly likely the only – piece of silverware this season which is why we expect to see an openly-contested affair.

Verdict: Both teams to score – yes

Best Odds: 4/6

Bookmaker: bet365