Resurgent Inter returned to the title race with a fortunate win in Derby della Madonnina, and they can now move to fourth place by beating Lazio. The Biancocelesti returned to winning ways as they beat Atalanta and they would probably settle for one point at Giuseppe Meazza.

Six wins in a row

Inter’s recent uptrend in form is proving that Claudio Ranieri is one of the most underrated managers in world football as the Italian coach did brilliantly to get the team back on track after the dismal start under Gian Piero Gasperini. The six-match winning run in Serie A that included the derby victory over Milan helped the Neroazzurri close the gap behind leaders Juventus to just six points and helped the players restore much needed confidence after the slow start to the season. Inter may have been outplayed by Milan in Derby della Madonnina, but they managed to record an invaluable win thanks to revived Diego Milito and with Wesley Sneijder back to the side after the lengthy spell on the sidelines, everything suggests that the trend will continue. The Coppa Italia victory over Genoa that was achieved with an under strength side only helped keep the spirits high before the derby with Lazio, so I really cannot look past Inter in this one.

Wesley Sneijder is expected to start behind lone striker Milito, but Thiago Motta, Diego Forlan, Dejan Stankovic and Sulley Muntari are all unavailable.

Lazio slowing down

Boosted by some very solid showings in the previous Serie A campaign, the club chiefs decided to invest considerable funds into new players in the summer, hoping to help Lazio become serious title contenders this term. However, while the Biancocelesti have been very close to the top of the standings from the very start of the league campaign, they never quite managed to prove their potential, and it appears that Edy Reja is still unable to get the maximum out of his players. The absence of key midfielder Stefano Mauri is proving to be a real problem, as is the poor form of Djibril Cisse, who scored just one goal in 16 league games. Apart from Miroslav Klose and Hernanes, it looks as though nobody else can score for the Biancocelesti and that helps the opposition defences a great deal. Lazio have been playing pretty well on the travels this season, but the 4:0 defeat to Siena proves that they are now far from desired form, and, at the state they are in, the visitors don’t look capable of stopping Inter from winning this game.

Hernanes, Lorik Cana, Andre Dias and Libor Kozak are all injury doubts, whereas Stefano Mauri remains long-term casualty.

Verdict

Inter have been thoroughly impressive of late and with Wesley Sneijder back to the side, they should be able to extend their winning run to seven Serie A games. Lazio are clearly struggling at the moment and with several important players missing out, they don’t have much to hope for before the trip to Meazza.

Our prediction: Home win

Odds: 1.70 (7/10)

Bookmaker: BetVictor