Coppa Italia: Milan And Lazio On The Hunt For Silverware

AC Milan vs Lazio

AC Milan and Lazio meet in the Coppa Italia quarter finals on Wednesday as Italy’s finest go in search of a domestic trophy. Both the Rossoneri and the Biancoceleste have other fish to fry too, after good results have reignited their Serie A campaigns.

Milan come into the game on the back of a priceless 2-1 win in the derby, beating league leaders Inter thanks to a double from Olivier Giroud, which cut the gap at the top to just a single point. Meanwhile Lazio had an impressive 3-0 win away to Fiorentina, which lifted Maurizio Sarri’s men up into a Europa League place and with the top four coming into view.

The Coppa Italia 2022 betting odds say Stefano Pioli’s Milan will get through to the semi-final, at a price of 1.38 with Lazio at 2.92 to proceed. But I suspect we’re in for a pulsating 90 minutes and a match which could go down to the wire.

Talking Points

Milan careful with Kessie

Coppa Italia: Franck Kessie returns to AC Milan after playing internationally in the AFCON — Franck Kessie in action during AC Milan’s match against

Inter had a big chance to land a huge blow on Milan’s title hopes but a brave fight back and a brace from Giroud took all three points and blew the title race wide open. Milan, alongside Napoli moved just one point behind the 2021 champions though Inter have a game in hand. And there was more good news for the Rossoneri as powerful midfielder Franck Kessie was passed fit to play on his return from the African Cup of Nations. He had limped off during the Ivory Coast’s defeat to Egypt but he managed an hour of the derby before Pioli took him off, in the hope of keeping him fit for the next few crucial weeks.

The boss has other injury problems, including the absence of evergreen striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who suffered a leg injury in a recent heavyweight bout with Juventus, which ended in a 0-0 draw. The 40 year old Swede is likely to be out for a couple of weeks. There is better news on Croatia winger Ante Rebic who is close to shaking off an ankle injury, while defender Fikayo Tomori is recovering from a leg strain and is back on the grass; both will be assessed before Wednesday’s big game

Lazio the entertainers

I Biancoceleste put on a superb show to beat Fiorentina 3-0 and leapfrog La Viola up to sixth in the Serie A table. Midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opened the scoring before top scorer Ciro Immobile added a second, and a late own goal from Cristiano Biraghi made it three. Lazio were in control of the game throughout and won plaudits for their performance in a game crucial to both sides in their quest for Europe. Italian journal Corriere dello Sport chimed, “this is how the game should be played” and pundits nationwide praised Lazio’s entertaining approach and high quality players.

Premier League

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Arsenal

CLICK HERE

TO SEE UPDATED ODDS

Now the Biancoceleste fans will be hoping for some Coppa Italia 2022 highlights from their heroes to back up that performance, and the scorers are sure to play a big part again in Milan. Milinkovic-Savic is one of the most accomplished midfield generals in world football, while hotshot Immobile is battling it out for the Capocannoniere with Juventus new boy Dusan Vlahovic, tied on 18 goals and six ahead of the chasers.

History

As two elder statesmen of the Italian league, Milan and Lazio have featured in 14 and ten Coppa Italia finals respectively, though Lazio have had more luck at the last hurdle, winning seven of their ten finals, the last one in 2019, while the most recent of Milan’s five Coppa triumphs came in 2003.

Milan have had the better of the head-to-head meetings with Lazio, winning 29 to the Romans’ 14 in all competitions since 1993. There have been 24 draws in that period but none in the last six, as each side has won three. I Rossoneri came out on top when they last met, at the San Siro in September, as Ibrahimovic became Serie A’s oldest ever scorer after Rafael Leao had given Milan the lead.

In terms of recent form, both teams have lost just once in the last six games, and Lazio are unbeaten in four.

Betting Tip

	AC Milan vs Lazio	Total Goals 2-3 @ 1.85
	February 10, 04:00 (GMT+8)

At SBOTOP odds of 1.79 to win in 90 minutes Milan are strong favourites, with the Draw at 3.54 and Lazio at 3.74. Home advantage and league position gives the Rossoneri a clear edge, but Lazio come into the game with their tails up and I expect a tight game; and I don’t think 1-1 in 90 minutes will be far from the mark.