AC Milan are still seeking their first win of the new Serie A season as they travel to Lazio on Saturday. Lazio have also not been particularly convincing and with both teams looking suspect at the back, goals could be expected here.
Lazio head into Saturday’s clash off the back of a 2-1 defeat at Udinese in their previous Serie A fixture. They fell two goals down before Gustavo Isaksen struck a consolation deep into added time.
That result highlights Lazio’s erratic showings as they failed to build on the 3-1 victory over Venezia in their opening fixture. The defending will also be concerning to manager Marco Baroni as they have conceded in their two matches so far.
AC Milan are also coming off a 2-1 defeat as they were beaten by Parma in their previous fixture. They struck back through Christian Pulisic after going behind early in the contest but went on to concede the winner midway through the second half.
That defeat means AC Milan are still seeking their first win of the season having begun their campaign with a 2-2 draw with Torino. Manager Paulo Fonseca will be keen to tighten up at the back as the Rossoneri have conceded four goals in just two matches this term.
How the bookies view it: Slight edge for Milan
Despite their poor start to the season, AC Milan still have the slight edge among the bookies, with a win priced at 6/4 by Betfred. A victory for Lazio is valued at 15/8 while Betfred is also offering odds of 23/10 by Betfred.
Recent head to head: Rossoneri on top
AC Milan have a fine record in this fixture and have won six of the last seven matches against Lazio. The Rossoneri did the double last season, winning 2-0 at home before picking up a 1-0 victory at the Stadio Olimpico.
Players to watch: Castellanos to star
Valentin Castellanos is already off the mark for Lazio having scored in the opening fixture. The striker had a quiet outing last time out but could still be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime on Saturday at 2/1 with Betfred.
Noah Okafor has caught the eye for AC Milan in the early stages of the season and will be the one to watch on Saturday. The forward scored in both matches against Lazio last season and is priced at 12/5 by Betfred to find the net once again.
Probable line-ups
Lazio will be without Luca Pellegrini, who is currently sidelined with injury. Isaksen is pushing for a start after coming off the bench to score last time out while Castellanos and Mattia Zaccagni should continue in attack.
Okafor is expected to continue to lead the line for AC Milan, with Alvaro Morata still sidelined with injury. Pulisic and Rafael Leao should provide support while Strahinja Pavlovic and Fikayo Tomori should continue in defence.
Lazio: Provedel, Lazzari, Patric, Romagnoli, Marusic, Guendouzi, Vecino, Dele-Bashiru, Isaksen, Zaccagni, Castellanos
AC Milan: Maignan, Calabria, Tomori, Pavlovic, Hernandez, Musah, Reijnders, Leao, Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic, Okafor
Anything else catch the eye?
With Lazio and AC Milan not particularly convincing at the back this season, goals can be expected on Saturday. Both teams could be backed to score at 4/6 by Betfred, who is offering 5/6 for over 2.5 goals while over 3.5 is valued at 9/4 by Betfred.
AC Milan have seen more goals after the break in their two matches this season and could set for a similar pattern at 21/20 by Betfred.
This Serie A match between Lazio and AC Milan will be played on Aug 31, 2024 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Lazio vs AC Milan prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
