Inter Milan, the consecutive Italian Super Cup champions, are set to return to Saudi Arabia, where they celebrated their 2022 title a year ago. Their commanding 5-1 victory over Monza on Saturday further solidified their hold on the Serie A summit. The Nerazzurri have been formidable, winning 14 and losing only one of their last 20 competitive matches since late September, making them strong contenders for additional silverware.In a departure from the usual format, Inter will now need to win two matches to secure another Super Cup trophy. Despite this change, Simone Inzaghi’s team remains confident, having won three of the last four head-to-head encounters against Lazio, losing just once. They boast the most formidable frontline in Italy’s top-flight, having scored a league-high 49 times in Serie A this season.##NAJAVA_MECA_7812065##However, they face a potentially challenging encounter with Lazio, who are in the midst of a resurgence under Maurizio Sarri, winning their last five consecutive matches. This impressive run includes eliminating arch-rivals Roma from the Coppa Italia, and they have climbed within a point of the top-four in Serie A after a 1-0 victory over Lecce marked back-to-back wins ‘to nil’ for the first time since April.Despite the positive momentum, Maurizio Sarri expresses dissatisfaction with the interruption of the regular season due to the Middle East trip, describing the new format as “anything but sport, we just take the money and run.” Sarri, now at Lazio, may find extra motivation as he seeks to avenge the loss of the 2019 Super Cup title when he was in charge of Juventus, falling to Lazio.🚨 On the day before the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, which involved Napoli, Inter, Lazio and Fiorentina, Saudi journalists asked Italian journalists why they sent Lazio and Fiorentina instead of Juventus and AC Milan. 🇸🇦🤣(Source: @repubblica) pic.twitter.com/13mx6PhTzf— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) January 19, 2024 Key players to watch in this clash include Lautaro Martínez, who scored twice against Monza, bringing his Serie A tally to 18 goals in as many appearances. Martínez has also found the net in both previous Super Cup finals for Inter. Felipe Anderson, who netted the winner against Lecce, will be a player to watch for Lazio, having opened the scoring before half-time in their most recent head-to-head victory.ITALIAN SUPER CUP – SEMIFINALThursday Napoli – Fiorentina 3-0 (1-0)/Simeone 22, Zerbin 84, 87/Friday 22.00: (1.67) Inter (3.90) Lazio (5.90)***odds are subject to change***
