Despite their best efforts, Lazio fell short in a bitterly contested 2-0 loss to league leaders Inter at the Stadio Olimpico.
The Biancocelesti’s last two outings were a draw with Hellas Verona and loss to Atletico Madrid, harming the team’s confidence after a brief uptick in form. Maurizio Sarri’s side are still trying to find their footing after an inconsistent few months.
Inter have been almost flawless in Serie A this term, dropping points just three times, and were extra motivated to get the victory in Rome after Scudetto rivals Juventus draw with Genoa in their Serie A clash on Friday evening.
Sarri lined up a strong Lazio squad against Inter, starting stars like Mattia Zaccagni, Ciro Immobile and Daichi Kamada, leaving Luis Alberto on the bench and having to do without the injured Alessio Romagnoli.
There were no surprises in Inzaghi’s Inter squad, with the regulars Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram leading the line in the Italian capital. It was a return for Francesco Acerbi, whose time with Lazio came to an acrimonious end last year.
After a bright start by Inter, Lazio grew into the clash at the Stadio Olimpico and had a few chances through Immobile, Mateo Guendouzi and Kamada, but none looked particularly punishing.
It wouldn’t take long for Inter to put themselves ahead though, taking a 1-0 lead in the 40th minute after Lautaro Martinez burst forward and dribbled around Ivan Provedel, allowing him to casually pass the ball into the back of the net.
The Biancocelesti came close to equalising in the 48th minute, but Nicolo Rovella’s shot was comfortably saved by Yann Sommer, denying the home side yet again.
A quick counterattack allowed Inter to double their advantage just after the hour mark, going 2-0 up thanks to Marcus Thuram’s composure in front of goal. Mario Gila tried to block the shot but only managed to change its course slightly as it sailed into the net.
Lazio’s miserable evening was capped off by a Manuel Lazzari red card in the 87th minute after he angrily challenged a call by referee Fabio Maresca.
