The Serie A teams came back from the break with some interesting displays. While some of the games were postponed due to many COVID-19 cases, others were intriguing and full of drama.
Inter’s game against Bologna was postponed, while Lazio had a difficult start of the year after a 3-3 thriller against Empoli. This all happened right before the upcoming Inter-Lazio game, where Simone Inzaghi would look to get revenge against Maurizio Sarri after the Nerazzurri’s 1-3 defeat earlier this season.
Looking at the teams’ form prior to the break, Inter are undefeated in all 11 Serie A games after the abovementioned defeat and are currently first in the league. Lazio, on the other hand, struggle to show consistency and have a rather unsatisfying record so far, being among the most efficient teams in attack, but yet failing defensively.
That expectedly puts Inter a step forward for their meeting on Sunday, although we already know that Sarri has some tricks up his sleeve and might surprise the motivated Inter side.
This preview in the form of tactical analysis examines both teams’ tactics and how Inzaghi could grab the three points his time.
Counter-attacking efficiency
Lazio are very productive in front of the goal, but we cannot say the same about their resistance in defence. The team have been struggling to maintain a balanced performance and often fall victim to their overcommitment to attack. There are a few vulnerabilities that Inter could successfully take advantage of should they have the right approach.
Inter are currently the league’s most efficient team in attack with 49 goals scored so far. Their attacking flair could be used against Lazio in a few different ways.
Inzaghis side are very strong on a counter and they could easily use that against Sarri’s highly positioned defence and overcommitment to having possession in the opposition half. The team create 3.05 counter-attacks on average per game and many of them finish with a shot. They have now scored five goals on a counter, thanks to Lautaro Martínez, Joaquín Correa, Edin Džeko and Hakan Çalhanoğlu who successfully dismiss defences and advance the ball so they can shoot. Their counter-attacking movement is successful as it gives them freedom and they can use their pace to outrun the opposing players and deliver the ball in front of the goal.
Instead of finding Džeko, Çalhanoğlu opted for a long ball to the edge of the box, with an aim to reach Martinez who outran his marker.Lazio, on the other side, are often failing in dropping back in such situations. The team’s possession-based approach and advanced positioning often result in leaving gaps behind. The team have now conceded four times from counter-attacking actions and continue to experience problems defending against speedy attacks and skilful players. They struggle in re-organising once they lose the ball, and while they are among the teams that have the fewest ball losses on average, theirs do often result in the opposition taking advantage and shooting. In their last meeting with the Nerazzurri, eight of Lazio’s losses in their own half resulted in them conceding shots.
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