Inter Milan 3-1 Lazio: Three Thoughts

Inter’s resurgence is alive and well. The Nerazzurri faced off against top-four rival Lazio in Sunday’s early kickoff and despite an early scare via Felipe Anderson’s 30th-minute opener, the good guys got the job done through a brace from super-sub Lautaro Martinez and a pair of assists from Romelu Lukaku in the final fifteen minutes of action.

Momentum at last

As bad as Inter has been for large swathes of 2023, it’s finally stringing together some results just as the home stretch begins. Since the 3-3 draw against Benfica that clinched UCL advancement, Intr has picked up three Ws in a row: Empoli, Juve, and now Lazio. For a team that hadn’t won in over a month in Serie A, that’s a pretty big change, and for good. As the schedule gets even tighter and matches even more important, that momentum and good form is going to be crucial.

We need more of Lu-La

Speaking of that schedule, it’s forced Inzaghi to make major changes to the XI almost every time out to keep everyone fresh. However, it’s also limited the time Lautaro (who usually starts with Dzeko) and Lukaku (who starts with Correa) share on the pitch together. But as we saw today, the Lu-La partnership isn’t done yet. With Lukaku getting back into form, that strike pair has the potential to be a huge weapon over the coming weeks, but that starts with the two getting a full 90 together first.

The UCL race is wide open

Sunday’s win moved Inter even on 57 points with Roma and Milan, ahead of both on tiebreakers, while Atalanta is still in the mix on 55 points. Lazio (61 points) and Juve (59) are one bad result from falling a little too close to Europa League spots as well. With several more face-to-face six-pointers to go this season, any combination of those 6 teams in the top four is possible, so buckle up.

Up next is a home game vs Hellas Verona Wednesday and a visit to AS Roma Saturday.

Forza Inter!