Prediction: Lazio vs AC Milan

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 6/10

Bookmaker: William Hill

Buoyed by the Italian Super Cup triumph over Serie A champions Juventus, Lazio enjoyed a bright start to the new league campaign, but this will be their first serious test. The heavily reinforced Rossoneri have so far won all six competitive fixtures and they hope to make it five on the bounce at Stadio Olimpico.

Lazio

Unlike most other top Italian sides, Lazio did not invest considerable funds into new signings over the summer, spending just over €15 million on Lucas Leiva, Nani, Adam Marusic and Felipe Caicedo. However, Lucas Biglia, Balde Keita and Wesley Hoedt all left, meaning some squad rebuilding will be required. Nevertheless, the Biancocelesti enjoyed a good start to the season, producing an excellent performance to pip mighty Juventus to the Italian Super Cup trophy. Lazio then suffered a setback as they could only muster a goalless draw against newly-promoted SPAL at Stadio Olimpico, but eventually made amends for it with a 2-1 away win over very good Chievo side, with in-demand Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scoring the winner in the dying moments. With Champions League qualification again the primary goal, Lazio will have to try and beat in-form AC Milan and the Biancocelesti can show everyone they should be taken very seriously. The Italian giants were not too impressive at home last term, losing to Juventus, AS Roma, Napoli and Inter, while sharing spoils with AC Milan, and they will have to show improvement against top sides if they want to challenge for a top 3 finish.

Team News

Star player Felipe Anderson continues to miss out, but Simone Inzaghi has no other selection worries at the moment.

AC Milan

AC Milan were one of Europe’s highest spending clubs this summer, having splashed €185 million on new players, but it remains to be seen whether the Rossoneri can mount a serious title challenge immediately after the heavy recruitment. But, even with Andre Silva and Nikola Kalinic joining the ranks, it was talented youngster Patrick Cutrone who stole the show in the early exchanges, bagging four goals in the first six games of the season and he is expected to start as well. Suso is another player from last term who had a key role to play in the opening fixtures, which is enough to suggest that new recruits will need some more time to adapt to the new surroundings. And while AC Milan have won each of their six games so far, the reality is that none of those opponents were of high quality, so the fans will be eager to see how their beloved team fare against in-form Lazio. The 3-0 victory over Crotone ended a six-match winless run on Serie A travels for the Rossoneri, who also lost to Napoli, Juventus and AS Roma on the road last season. This is enough to suggest that AC Milan could face a difficult task at Stadio Olimpico.

Team News

Key midfielder Giacomo Bonaventura could return from injury, but full-back Andrea Conti is sidelined after picking up an injury on international duty.

Key Factors to Consider

• Both teams scored in their last five meetings at Stadio Olimpico
• Lazio won two of those games (D2 L1)
• AC Milan won all six games this season
• Youngster Patrick Cutrone bagged 4 goals in the process
• Ciro Immobile scored 4 goals for club and country this term

Conclusion

Both Lazio and AC Milan appear to be in good form at the moment and their past meetings would suggest we are likely to witness another high-scoring affair. Therefore, we feel that backing both teams to score is the right thing to do.

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 6/10

Bookmaker: William Hill