betprepare.com

Lazio have injury issues

The guests are feeling very self-confident before coming to San Siro, even though they have regularly been defeated there by Inter for years now

Getty Images

Roberto Mancini finally got the championship win on Monday after coming back to Inter. After the defeats against Roma and Udinese, Inter managed to defeat Chievo in Verona, even though that game wasn't as simple for Mancini's players as the result would suggest. Kovačić and Ranocchia scored for Inter, but the excellent goalie Handanović had an important role by saving their net in a few great actions. Regardless of the win in Verona, Inter are still in the bottom part of the Serie A league table, and Mancini really needs a success against Lazio because the beginning of 2015 brings tough matches against Juventus and Genoa.

Mancini wants Inter to be offensively oriented against Lazio:

- The guys are working well on the practices, just like last week. It's clear everything looks better after a win, we really needed it. Lazio are a great team who play well, and I've seen that even in their defeats, they deserved more. They're fast in the counter attacks and have a few players who can harm us. We have to try and look like a team first of all, that's the key. A win can really boost our self-confidence before coming to 2015. 

Getty Images

Mancini doesn't have problems with the absences because the only one missing is the back Jonathan who has injury issues again. The midfielder Hernandes should wait for his chance to play against his former club from the bench, and Kuzmanović, Medel, and Guarin are expected to play behind Kovačić.

Lazio had a mini crisis, but then defeated the second-league club Varese in the Cup, and then added valuable points against Parma and Atalanta. With those six points from the last round, Lazio now share the third place with the club from Genoa. Now, they want to confirm their high ambitions this season on San Siro. Lazio didn't often win points in Milano against Inter, and last season they were defeated harshly. Inter defeated Lazio in nine out of the last ten matches on San Siro, but Pioli's team are really confident before the last championship game of 2014.

Pioli believes Lazio are a better team than Inter right now:

- We have to be focused on the game only, and ready to climb the league table again. The state of the table shows Lazio were superior to Inter so far. This isn't even half of the season yet, but we deserve the position we hold. It would be great to wait for Christmas knowing we're the third team of Serie A. To get that, we have to take the initiative on San Siro and go for the win. We have to work like a team and move together, play an efficient and simple football.

The absences situation is far from ideal in Lazio. Pioli can't rely on the injured backs Braafheid and Pereirinha, the defenders Ciani and Gentiletti, and the midfielders Biglia, Ederson and Candreva. It's assumed that Lazio will play in 4-3-2-1 formation on San Siro, and it's questionable whether Klose or Đorđević will lead the offense from the first minute. In the midfield, Ledesma should play next to Parolo and Lulić. Pioli trusts Ledesma more than Onazi.