After surprising defeats last week, both Lazio and AC Milan will be eager to bounce back when they face off in Saturday night's Serie A clash at Stadio Olimpico.
Lazio was upset by Udinese, while AC Milan was stunned by newly-promoted Parma, making this match crucial for both teams before the international break. Lazio's new manager, Marco Baroni, had a promising start with a win over Venezia, but his hopes for a follow-up victory were dashed when his team went down early against Udinese.
Despite playing against 10 men for much of the second half, Lazio only managed a late consolation goal from Gustav Isaksen, leaving them with nothing to show for their efforts.
This unexpected loss snapped an eight-match unbeaten streak that stretched back to last season. Now, Baroni faces the challenge of ending Lazio's three-game losing streak against Milan in Serie A, during which they haven't scored a single goal.
The last time these two teams met in Rome, Milan edged out a 1-0 victory. Though Milan has dominated recent encounters, winning five of the last six, they haven’t achieved back-to-back away wins against Lazio since 2009.
Milan's head coach, Paulo Fonseca, will be determined to change that on Saturday. His tenure at San Siro has gotten off to a shaky start, with Milan drawing 2-2 with Torino after being down by two goals until the 89th minute and then suffering a disappointing defeat to Parma last week. Despite Christian Pulisic’s equalizer, a late mistake allowed Parma to snatch the win.
For the first time since 2011, Milan has failed to win either of their first two league matches. Although they lead Serie A in shots, touches in the opposition area, and direct attacks, concerns linger over their defense.
Fonseca, who had a reputation for defensive frailty during his time at Roma, could see his new team make their worst start to a season this century if they fail to secure a win against Lazio.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Marco Baroni is facing some challenges in defense, with Mario Gila still out due to a thigh injury and Nicolo Casale possibly unavailable, especially with rumors of a move to Bologna. Left-back Lorenzo Pellegrini was in a car accident last week, but he might still make the squad.
On the other hand, Baroni has no such worries in midfield, where Nicolo Rovella, Matias Vecino, and Danilo Cataldi are all competing for a spot in front of Lazio's defense. Up front, captain Mattia Zaccagni will look to continue his impressive form at Stadio Olimpico, having been directly involved in four of Lazio's last six home goals.
For Milan, Rafael Leao, who lines up on the left, has yet to score this season but has been instrumental in creating chances. He's played the most balls into the opposition box and shares the top spot for the most shots in Serie A with Taty Castellanos.
Milan's main summer signing, Alvaro Morata, is still out with a thigh injury, so either Luka Jovic or Noah Okafor will likely join Leao and Christian Pulisic in the attack. New signings Emerson Royal and Youssouf Fofana, who both made their Serie A debuts as substitutes against Parma, could be in line for more involvement, possibly even starting if Paulo Fonseca decides to make some changes after last week's setback.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Lazio possible starting lineup:
Provedel; Lazzari, Patric, Romagnoli, Marusic; Dele-Bashiru, Rovella, Guendouzi; Noslin, Castellanos, Zaccagni
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Pavlovic, Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Okafor
EXPERT PREDICTION
Lazio 2-2 AC Milan
These clubs have not drawn with each other in Serie A since 2018 - Milan lead 8-3 in wins since then.
But Saturday night is likely to end in a draw.
With both defenses looking shaky, the stage is set for the quick and talented forwards on both sides to shine at Stadio Olimpico.
