/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63321906/1131268472.jpg.0.jpg)
Last year, Inter Milan and Lazio played for the fourth and final Champions League position in Serie A with Inter coming away with the spot after a win in Rome.
Now, the shoes are on the other foot … kind of.
The Nerazzurri are now in third after a 3-2 win over AC Milan in the Derby della Madonnina prior to the international break. Lazio, on the other hand, have a lot of tougher hill to climb.
The Biancocelesti are six points back of AC Milan and with Milan playing Sampdoria Saturday night, that margin could be even wider when these teams kick off Sunday at the Giuseppe Meazza. So, Lazio has quite a bit to play for.
That isn’t to say that Inter has a secure position presently as AC Milan will likely keep pressure on the Nerazzurri and Atalanta along with AS Roma aren’t too far behind.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15995568/1131276242.jpg.jpg)
Inter Milan news (W-D-L-W-W)
The biggest news surrounding Inter Milan over the last two weeks has been the possible return of Mauro Icardi into the lineup.
And, it couldn’t come at a better time for the Nerazzurri as Lautaro Martinez has been ruled out for likely the next two matches.
However, I wouldn’t get the hopes up too high as it has been standard that Luciano Spalletti doesn’t start players fresh off injury, but rather eases them back into the lineup. So, I would expect Keita Balde to start up front with a chance to earn a spot with Inter full time.
That said, it is possible that Icardi could come off the bench in the second half.
Midfielder Radja Nainggolan is also out for this contest, so Inter will likely field Marcelo Brozovic, Matias Vecino and Roberto Gagliardini in the center. Vecino has seen a bit of a resurgence of late with both Inter and Uruguay – scoring a goal for each in the last two weeks.
Joao Miranda could also return to the lineup after an injury to his nose kept him out of the last two contests. Stefan de Vrij will not start, and likely not play, leaving room for Danilo D’Ambrosio to come in for defense.
Probable lineup: Handanovic; D’Ambrosio, Skriniar, Miranda, Asamoah; Gagliardini, Brozovic, Vecino; Politano, Keita, Perisic
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15995564/1132156883.jpg.jpg)
Lazio news (W-L-W-D-W)
Lazio has not had the best luck against Inter, losing three of the last four meetings – including the heartbreaking last match of last season.
They did get a little payback with a penalty shoot-out win over Inter in the Coppa Italia quarterfinals.
However, Inter remain strong at the Giuseppe Meazza, winning 11 of their last 13 matches at home.
Look for the Biancocelesti to be more aggressive offensively due to the fact a win is almost necessary to keep their hopes of a top four finish in league alive.
Striker Ciro Immobile will return from suspension to start the match for Lazio, but Felipe Caicedo has proven to be a solid option in attack.
In the center, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Joaquin Correa, Luis Alberto and Lucas Leiva should all feature, making for a very strong midfield.
Jordan Lukaku remains out with an injury and Stefan Radu may or may not feature in defense.
Probable lineup: Strakosha; Luiz Felipe, Acerbi, Radu; Marusic, Milinkovic, Leiva, Luis Alberto, Lulic; Correa, Immobile
Match information
Time and Date: 2:30 p.m. EDT Sunday, March 31
Location: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (Milan)
How to watch: In the United States, the match can be viewed on ESPN+. If you are in Italy, you can watch the match on Sky Sport Uno, Sky Sport Serie A, Sky Supercalcio HD, Sky Calcio 1, Lazio Style Channel and Sky Go Italia.
Click here to see how you can watch the match anywhere in the world.
What do you think? Post your comments below!