Consecutive competitive triumphs over Napoli, who were leading the league at that time, have allowed Lazio to recover their domestic form after an unexpected 3-1 loss to newcomers Parma. Of particular significance was their 1-0 league victory away against the Partenopei in the latest Serie A round, propelling Marco Baroni’s squad back into the title race, with only a three-point gap separating them from the league leaders as the round approaches.
Lazio maintained their momentum with a 3-1 victory at Ajax in midweek Europa League play, and they return to the Stadio Olimpico as one of just four Serie A teams yet to suffer a home loss this season (W6, D1). This comes as no surprise, as the Biancocelesti have secured wins in eight of their last nine competitive home fixtures (D1), managing to score first in seven of those successes.
Just moments stood between Inter Milan and the historic achievement of becoming the first team to maintain a clean sheet in the opening six matches of a Champions League season. However, a last-minute goal from Leverkusen shattered their 13-match unbeaten streak across all competitions (winning 11 and drawing 2). Simone Inzaghi’s squad is now keen to respond positively to avoid slipping further behind in Serie A, as they started this round just three points shy of the top but with the advantage of an extra match to play.
The game against Leverkusen also marked Inter’s first away fixture in five outings where they couldn’t prevent the opposition from scoring (winning 4 and losing 1), a sequence that began here against Lazio’s city rivals Roma (1-0). During those four away wins, Inter demonstrated no difficulty in finding the back of the net, highlighted by their five-goal spree before half-time in their recent away victory over Verona (winning 5-0).
Key players to keep an eye on include Spanish veteran Pedro, who scored and assisted in Lazio’s previous home victory over Inter, a performance he duplicated during their recent European triumph, with his last five Serie A goals all contributing to wins. Lautaro Martínez thrives against Lazio, having scored six times in 12 encounters, netting Inter’s opening goal in three of the last four meetings at this venue.
Noteworthy statistic: Inter remains the sole Serie A team yet to concede a goal in the first 15 minutes of the second half.
