A Gennaro Gattuso-led Lazio side will aim to maintain their 100% record in Serie A when they host a strong AC Milan team at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.
Gennaro Gattuso is widely considered a key figure in AC Milan’s history, having made 335 Serie A appearances for the club and managed the team on 62 occasions. His loyalties will be different on Saturday, however, as he takes on his former side as Lazio’s new manager.
Lazio have enjoyed a favourable recent record against the Rossoneri and are also in perfect form in Serie A this season, having won their opening three matches. Gattuso was appointed as the club’s new manager following his departure from the Italian national team, although he endured a difficult start to life in Rome.
Lazio suffered a surprise Coppa Italia exit at the hands of Serie B side Mantova but have since bounced back with Serie A victories over Bologna, Genoa, and Udinese. They fell a goal behind against the latter, before Davide Frattesi scored his third goal in as many matches. Albert Gudmundsson then completed the comeback to preserve their perfect start to the league campaign.
AC Milan, meanwhile, have made an excellent start under Ruben Amorim this season, recording two wins and a draw. The Rossoneri began their campaign with an away victory over Torino before beating Venezia at San Siro.
They dropped their first points in Turin, where AC Milan and Juventus shared the spoils. Alphadjo Cisse’s 68th-minute strike appeared to have secured victory for the visitors, but Federico Gatti scored a late equaliser in stoppage time.
Milan will now travel to Rome to face a Lazio side against whom they have struggled in recent meetings. The Rossoneri lost both of their visits to Stadio Olimpico last season, in the league and the cup, while Amorim will be determined to end a three-match winless run away to Lazio.
Team News & Tactics
Lazio
Gennaro Gattuso has several squad concerns to address before naming his preferred starting lineup for the match against Milan. The main issue involves summer arrival Andrea Pinamonti, who suffered an ankle injury after making his first start against Udinese last weekend. He has since returned to training and could be passed fit, but the manager will continue to monitor his progress.
Lazio also have several absentees in defence, with Patric and Adam Marusic expected to miss out. Midfielders Nicolo Rovella and Danilo Cataldi are also likely to be unavailable, alongside Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
Gattuso has attacking options in Albert Gudmundsson and Tijjani Noslin, although Pinamonti is expected to start if he is declared fit. Danilho Doekhi and Oliver Provstgaard should form the central defensive partnership.
Reda Belahyane is expected to operate at the base of midfield, with Kenneth Taylor and the in-form Davide Frattesi alongside him. Pinamonti should lead the line, supported by Gustav Isaksen and Mattia Zaccagni.
Probable lineup (4-3-3): Mandas; Mussolini, Doekhi, Provstgaard, Tavares; Taylor, Belahyane, Frattesi; Isaksen, Pinamonti, Zaccagni
AC Milan
Ruben Amorim is likely to persist with the setup that has produced positive results during the early part of the campaign. He is also expected to retain his back-three formation with wing-backs. Mattia Gabbia is Milan’s only absentee at present, while former Lazio defender Mario Gila is expected to face his old club despite continuing to experience pain from a knee problem.
Gila should line up alongside Koni De Winter and Strahinja Pavlovic in the back three. Samuel Chukwueze and Pervis Estupinan are expected to operate as the wing-backs. Luka Modric and Yunus Musah should control the midfield, with the pair appearing to be Amorim’s preferred options in the position.
The manager is also expected to continue trusting Adrien Rabiot and Alphadjo Cisse in attacking roles, while Goncalo Ramos should lead the line. New signing Omari Hutchinson could make an appearance but is not expected to start.
Probable lineup (3-4-2-1): Maignan; Gila, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Modric, Musah, Estupinan; Rabiot, Cisse; Ramos
Key Stats
- Lazio have won their opening three Serie A matches.
- Lazio have won three of their last four meetings with AC Milan in all competitions.
- AC Milan are unbeaten after their opening three Serie A matches.
- AC Milan lost 1-0 to Lazio in both of their visits to the Stadio Olimpico last season, in the league and the Coppa Italia.
Player to Watch
Davide Frattesi
The former Inter Milan midfielder should have plenty of motivation when he faces AC Milan and will be eager to continue his impressive start to life in Rome. Having scored in his first three Serie A matches for Lazio, Frattesi will be determined to find the net for a fourth consecutive game.
Gattuso will be counting on the midfielder’s form and energy, with the Italian acting as an important link between the two penalty areas. His goalscoring ability has been a major factor in Lazio’s perfect start to the league campaign, and he will be eager to deliver another clinical performance against Milan.
Prediction
Lazio 2-1 AC Milan
AC Milan are in good form and certainly have a chance of making their mark in Rome by securing either a win or a draw. However, they face an in-form Lazio side managed by Gennaro Gattuso, who will be determined to maintain his team’s strong recent record against the Rossoneri.
Lazio will be confident heading into the match and could carry the tag of slight favourites. This game has the makings of a tight encounter, but Gattuso’s side have the quality and momentum to claim all three points and preserve their perfect record in the league.
