In a clash of giants, Inter Milan is set to face Lazio at the KSU Stadium on Friday in the second semi-final of the Supercoppa Italiana.
Simone Inzaghi's squad, having clinched the Coppa Italia in the previous season, finds itself in Riyadh for this prestigious tournament. Their opponents are the capital club, Lazio, who secured the runner-up position in the 2022-23 Serie A campaign. Inzaghi, now at the helm of Inter, is unlikely to show any favors to his former team as they vie for a spot in the Super Cup final against Napoli or Fiorentina in Saudi Arabia. The reigning champions, having triumphed over AC Milan 3-0 in the final last year, are back in this revamped competition featuring four teams, aiming to capitalize on their manager's cup-winning expertise.
Inter comes into the Friday game riding high on a dominant 5-1 victory against Monza in Serie A last weekend. This resounding win marked the heaviest home defeat for Biancorossi since their promotion in the 2022-23 season.
Leading the charge for Inter is the in-form Lautaro Martinez, who netted a brace in the last outing, bringing his season tally to 18 league goals. With an additional two goals in the Champions League, the Argentine forward boasts an impressive total of 20 in all competitions.
Inzaghi looks to rely on his star striker against Lazio, aiming for a third consecutive win in all competitions and securing a spot in this year's Super Cup final. Standing in their way is Maurizio Sarri's Lazio, a team that hasn't held back in expressing displeasure about the competition, criticizing Italian football for financial gains in Saudi Arabia while neglecting players' welfare.
Despite Sarri's critiques of the demanding schedule, Lazio's improved results from the end of 2023 have continued into 2024, securing their fifth consecutive triumph with a 1-0 win over Lecce.
Lazio, however, faces a challenge to overcome the recent dominance of Inter in their head-to-head clashes. Inter has emerged victorious in the last two encounters, including a 2-0 win at the Olimpico in mid-December. The only injury concern for Inter is Juan Cuadrado's Achilles tendon layoff, ruling him out until March.
Inzaghi, while praising the commitment of Marko Arnautovic and Alexis Sanchez, is likely to start Marcus Thuram alongside the prolific Martinez up top.
On the Lazio side, there are some injury concerns and doubts, with Patric nursing a shoulder problem, Taty Castellanos sidelined for about a week, and Mattia Zaccagni uncertain after playing through foot pain with injections in recent games.
Ciro Immobile, Lazio's forward, has faced challenges in finding the net this season, with only four Serie A goals to his name. He hasn't scored in all competitions since his Champions League brace against Celtic in late November.
As the teams prepare for this crucial encounter, the possible starting lineups are:
Inter Milan:
Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Frattesi, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
Lazio:
Provedel; Lazzari, Fuentes, Romagnoli, Pellegrini; Guendouzi, Vecino, Alberto; Pedro, Immobile, Anderson
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