Three games will be played in the Italian Serie A on Saturday with the action beginning as AC Milan host Lazio from 14:00. The second pairing has Roma and Inter Milan dispute three crucial points before we move to the bill-topper when Cremonese plays Spezia from 19:45 GMT. An action-packed Saturday and that’s great news for armchair fans and followers of Italian football eager to make predictions and target a profit. We get involved early and focus on Milan v Lazio which has all the ingredients for a tasty 90 minutes.
AC Milan enter on the back of a morale-boosting unbeaten run that has lifted them to fifth and within striking distance of the major places. A top-four finish is the main aim for AC in the coming weeks as they target a spot in next season’s money-spinning UEFA Champions League. They finished level when last in action but will fancy their chances of improving to grab the three points on Saturday. Lazio has lost their last two league games but are higher in the league than their hosts.
Lazio thrashed AC Milan 4-0 at home earlier in the season, taking the lead inside the opening four minutes and building from there. The visitors aim to do the double over their esteemed opponents, but Milan fans can’t afford to sit through another nervy performance. This is a must-win for both teams, but which side will claim the desired result?
AC Milan are improving
AC Milan started the week in fifth place with their stats showing 16 wins, nine draws and seven defeats with 52 goals scored and 38 conceded. When taking a closer look at those numbers we note Milan hasn’t been anywhere near as impressive as they were last season and the reason is a leaky defence. The hosts hold their own against some of the division’s top sides for goals scored but they also have the worst defence in the top-seven. That’s an area the backroom staff must improve this summer.
Despite their generous backline, Milan prepare for this game on the back of a hot streak of form. They are unbeaten in their last five games with that purple patch showing two wins and three draws. A failure to finish teams off and see out the the game from a winning position could end up costing them dear. Milan must continue to score but it’s crucial they protect their lead better, turning one point into three.
We last saw the home team in action on Saturday in Rome when finishing 1-1 away to Roma. That was another game they should have won and had the chances to win, but failed to hold their concentration until the final whistle. There was late drama with both goals scored deep into stoppage time at the end of what was a bad-tempered game neither side were willing to lose.
Lazio suffers back to back defeats
Lazio has emerged as the main danger to runaway leaders Napoli and the last chance of stopping the team from Naples swaggering to the Serie A championship. The league leaders enjoy an 18-point gap over the chasing pack and that’s despite dropping points in three of their last five league starts. Lazio all but handed the crown to Napoli by losing their last two games as the club melted under pressure.
It has been a decent challenge from Lazio, although the destination of the league title has been a foregone conclusion for months now. Napoli has been fantastic and will end as the fully deserving champions, but in their bid to finish as the best of the rest, Lazio has caught our eye. They travel for this match having won 18, drawn seven and lost seven, scoring 50 goals and conceding 24 at the other end. They have 61 points next to their name, one more than Juventus in third.
Lazio fans were shocked to see their beloved team stumble to a pair of painful defeats in two games. That alarming drop in form started with a 1-0 home reverse against Torino before Inter Milan stuck to boot in by hammering Lazio 3-1 at the weekend. Visiting fans will demand much better from their players, but will they get their wish and cheer a timely return to winning ways?
AC Milan v Lazio prediction
Here we have two fantastic teams who have been in great form this season and are capable of serving us up another delight. AC Milan are at home and after watching Inter Milan wipe the floor with Lazio, they’ll want some of the same. The home advantage should make the difference and after seeing Lazio lose two games, we expect AC Milan to win, if they are anywhere near their best.
Serie A odds
You can gamble on the outcome of this game at 22bet. AC Milan to win is priced at 1,925 with Lazio 4,12 and the draw 3,42.
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