Inter Milan are eyeing a third straight Supercoppa Italiana ahead of their semifinal against SS Lazio.
Inter Milan will aim to end their Supercoppa Italiana hoodoo against SS Lazio when they take on each other in the second semi-final at the KSU Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday night.
The Coppa Italia holders have faced Lazio twice in the competition, losing both times. However, with the Supercoppa Italiana now encompassing four teams for the first time ever, Inter will hope to secure their path to the final as they pursue a third straight title.
Simone Inzaghi’s men won the Supercoppa Italiana in 2022 and 2023 as Serie A champions and Coppa Italia winners respectively. A third straight triumph will see them join arch-rivals AC Milan in an exclusive list of hat-trick takers.
The standout tie in the semi-finals, the winner will take on either Fiorentina or Napoli. Inter go into the tournament as the favourites and will aim to add another feather to their cap under Inzaghi. However, Maurizio Sarri’s men area tough bunch and can pack a punch on their night.
Lazio are chasing a first trophy since 2019, the last time they won this competition. Sarri has brought much optimism to the Roman side. But the lack of trophies certainly puts a dampener on the progress made under him.
Sarri’s side are blowing hot and cold in Serie A but have done well in cup competitions so far. They will face off against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 while squaring off against Juventus in the Coppa Italia last four.
Lazio are coming into form at the right moment and will be keen to drive home the advantage. Securing the trophy will certainly push them to end the 2023/24 campaign on a high. It promises to be a feisty encounter between two stellar sides on Friday night in the Middle Eastern backdrop. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Milan
The Nerazzurri are leading the way in the Scudetto race and also have a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash against Atletico Madrid coming up. However, the Coppa Italia loss to Bologna exposed some chinks in their armour that could be exploited by opposing teams.
Juan Cuadrado is Inter Milan’s lone major absentee on the night as the veteran continues to recover from injury. Simone Inzaghi has an otherwise fully-fit squad to choose from and will be keen to leave Saudi Arabia with yet another trophy under his belt.
The Inter Milan boss is unlikely to field a weakened team against former club Lazio and should retain several of his top players. However, one constant will be his favoured 3-5-2 formation that has become a trademark of sorts.
Yann Sommer should start in goal behind the trio of Yann Aurel Bisseck, Stefan De Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni at centre-back. The experienced duo of Matteo Darmian and Federico Dimarco will hold down the wing-back spots, giving the trio of Davide Frattesi, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Hakan Calhanoglu the freedom to dominate the middle of the pitch.
Lautaro Martinez has an excellent record in the competition and should retain his spot upfront alongside Marcus Thuram.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Frattesi, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
SS Lazio
Lazio are blowing hot and cold in Serie A but have impressed in cup competitions. They lost 2-0 to Inter Milan back in December but have since won five games across all competitions since. This upturn in form will give them confidence going into the clash on Friday.
Injuries will influence Maurizio Sarri’s selection, with Patric the latest name on the list following the setback against Lecce. Taty Castellanos is also unavailable, while Mattia Zaccagni is a doubt for the game. The latter could yet make the cut might need to settle for a spot on the bench.
Sarri is likely to retain his 4-3-3 formation, with Ivan Provedel in goal. He should be protected by the back four of Manuel Lazzari, Mario Gila, Alessio Romagnoli and Luca Pellegrini.
Former Inter Milan star Matías Vecino should hold the fort in the middle of the park for Lazio, with Matteo Guendouzi and Luis Alberto providing the forward thrust. The ex-Liverpool man should be Lazio’s most potent creative threat from the middle of the park.
Pedro and Felipe Anderson will provide the energy and experience on the wings, with Ciro Immobile leading he line. The veteran striker has struggled for goals this season and has not found the back of the net since November 2023. Lazio need him to step up and there is no better time than now for the Italian to prove his worth.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Provedel; Lazzari, Romagnoli, Gila, Pellegrini; Guendouzi, Vecino, Alberto; Pedro, Immobile, Anderson
Key Stats
- Inter Milan will be seeking to become just the second side in history to secure three consecutive Supercoppa Italiana trophies.
- Inter Milan have won the competition seven times, a tally dwarfed only by Juventus (9).
- Lazio have won the competition five times, the most recent of them coming in 2019 where they defeated Juventus in the final.
- The Coppa Italia holders have won the Supercoppa Italiana just nine times in 35 years. Of these Inter Milan account for two, the most recent of them coming in 2022.
- No Coppa Italia holder has won the Supercoppa Italiana two seasons in a row.
- Inter Milan and Lazio have faced off against each other twice in the Supercoppa Italiana, with the Romans winning on both occasions.
Player to Watch
Lautaro Martinez
Inter Milan’s most dangerous attacker. (Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)
The Argentine international is in red hot form at the moment and will be Inter’s biggest threat going forward. Martinez scored in the last two Supercoppa Italiana finals and will hope to do so for the third year in a row.
Should he find the back of the net, he will take his tally in the competition to three goals, an elite list that comprises of Andriy Shevchenko, Carlos Tevez, Samuel Eto’o and Alessandro Del Piero. Only Paulo Dybala with four has scored more in the competition.
Martinez is a difficult player to mark and should find some joy against Lazio’s backline. As long as he turns up, Simone Inzaghi and Co. might as well retain hopes of yet another triumph.
Prediction
Inter Milan 2-1 SS Lazio
It should be a close contest between two teams not lacking in star power. While Lazio have found their footing of late, Inter’s loss to Bologna will have strengthened Simone Inzaghi’s resolve to avoid any more surprises. This combined with the Nerazzurri’s strength in depth, the Hard Tackle believes Inter are headed for a third straight Supercoppa Italiana showpiece final.
