Italian Serie A preview: SS Lazio – Inter Milan (Part 2)
Team News
SS Lazio
Reja will be without the services of Mourad Meghni, Alberto Quadri and Javier Garrido as the trio is out injured. Eduardo Reja will breathe a sigh of relief as none of the aforementioned players are key first team players.
Expected Formation
Eduardo Reja will field a 4-2-3-1 formation that will take the game to reigning Italian and European Champions. Sergio Floccari has played well in the lone striker’s role and will retain his starting berth. Hernanes will play the trequartista role. The mercurial
Brazilian will be flanked by born again striker Mauro Zarate on the right while Stefano Mauri will play on the left. Cristian Brocchi and Cristian Ledesma will play in central midfield positions and will look to counter Wesley Sneijder and co. In defence,
Stephan Lichtsteiner and Stefan Radu will take the full back positions while Andre Dias and Giuseppe Biava will play in the heart of defence. Nestor Muslera will keep the gloves for Aquile on the back of some strong performances.
Probable Line up
Nestor Muslera, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Stefan Radu, Andre Dias, Cristian Brocchi, Cristian Ledesma, Hernanes, Stefano Mauri, Mauro Zarate, Sergio Floccari
Inter Milan
Inter are still without a host of key players. As if the injury crisis wasn’t enough, Samuel Eto’o managed to get himself a three match suspension for his head-butt on Chievo Verona’s Cesar. The referee didn’t notice the incident but it was caught on video
tapes and Italian disciplinary committees took action in the aftermath. Diego Milito is also expected to miss the game as Rafa will have to do with an out of form Goran Pandev. The other injury victims include Amantino Mancini, Philippe Coutinho, Cristian
Chivu, Walter Samuel, McDonald Mariga and David Suazo.
Expected Formation
Inter will take to the pitch in a 4-3-2-1 formation that will see Goran Pandev play as a lone striker. Wesley Sneijder and Jonathan Biabiany will play as the two attacking midfielders and will be responsible for creating the chances. Thiago Motta has finally
returned to full fitness and will start in the midfield. Dejan Stankovic and Esteban Cambiasso will partner the Brazilian in the midfield. Marco Materazzi will partner Lucio in the heart of the defence in Samuel’s absence. Skipper Javier Zanetti will play
in the left back position while Ivan Cordoba will get the nod ahead of young Davide Santon. Julio Cesar will keep the gloves for the side.
Probable Line up
Julio Cesar, Ivan Cordoba, Lucio, Marco, Materazzi, Javier Zanetti, Dejan Stankovic, Esteban Cambiasso, Thiago Motta, Jonathan Biabiany, Wesley Sneijder, Goran Pandev
Key Players
Hernanes
The Brazilian will be at the heart of every Aquilotti move and will look to exploit the holes in Nerazzuri rearguard. Hernanes suffered from a dip in form and that showed on recent Aquile results. With Hernanes back in form, Reja will be confident of the
three points.
Goran Pandev
Lazio will surely score past a makeshift Nerazzuri rearguard and if Inter are to come away with any points, they must score. With Milito and Eto’o put of this game, the scoring responsibilities will be on the shoulders of Macedonian star. Pandev must score
at all costs for Inter to win this game.
Prediction
The game will be an entertaining affair with plenty of chances coming both ways. However, it would be Lazio taking their chances. The game will be won by the home side by a 2 – 1 score line that will leave Rafa Benitez running for his job.
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