Who: Inter v Lazio

What: Serie A Week 36

Where: Stadio G. Meazza, Milano

Date: Wednesday, May 08, 2013

Time: 20:45 CET local time, 2:45 pm EST

LAZIO

Probable Formation: 4141

Marchetti; Konko, Dias, Biava, Radu; Ledesma; Candreva, Gonzalez, Hernanes, Lulic; Klose

Injuries/Suspensions: Ederson, Brocchi, Mauri, Zarate (I just threw this one in there, for old time sakes)

Form: DLLDW

Notes: Lazio is on a bit of a slump, not as bad as ours, though. I read somewhere that post-winter break they aren’t doing so well, either. However, having said that, Lazio can be a mixed bag. Hernanes appears the real deal. Ledesma was someone that I said should be on Inter 3 or 4 years ago – he’s exactly the player we need right now and it makes me crazy that he or someone like him isn’t on the team by now. Marchetti is a good goalkeeper and Konko was someone that Mourinho thought was worth bringing to Inter.

Having said all that, Lazio’s confidence is sky high after winning on the weekend 6-0. Klose is having a good season, despite some injuries and he proved to be a handful

INTER

Called Up: Handanovic, Belec, Carrizo; Ranocchia, Chivu, Pasa, Pereira, Juan Jesus, Jonathan, Ferrara, Spendlhofer; Schelotto, Kovacic, Alvarez, Guarin, Kuzmanovic, Cambiasso, Benassi; Rocchi, Forte, Colombi, Garritano

Probable Formation: 433

Handoanovic; Pereira, Juan, Ranocchia, Jonathan; Cambiasso, Kuzmanovic, Kovacic; Guarin; Alvarez, Rocchi

Injuries/Suspensions: Milito, Palacio, Samuel, Silvestre, Zanetti, Mudingayi, Castellazzi, Obi, Mbaye, Stankovic, Gargano

Form: LLWLL

Notes: So here we are. Since December, the newspapers have been saying that if Inter don’t win their next game, the coach will be fired. That noise is firing up again now that the end of the season is nigh. At this point it’s impossible to believe anything that the newspapers say as they are ramping up to the “who has the worst imagination season”. I bring it up now, because who knows what the hell is going on in the minds of the front office people. Either this game is only the end of the string, or it’s really a last chance.

Like most teams in Serie A including Lazio, Inter play better at home than they do away, so there is that. There are some players coming back to the first team pretty soon. Observant folks will notice that the pictures on the home pages of my articles have previously injured players practicing. People are coming back, it may be too late, but they are coming back. It’s something to hold onto for next year.

If I have a prediction about today, though… I’m thinking draw.

FORZA INTER