The 79th edition of the Coppa Italia reaches kick-off at the Stadio Olimpico, with Inter and Lazio meeting again just days after a 3-0 Serie A win for Inter. The final starts at 20.00 UK time, 21.00 CEST, and the backdrop is obvious enough: Inter want to add another trophy after their Scudetto triumph, while Lazio need the cup to salvage their season and turn the final into a route to Europe.
Why Inter arrive with the clearer edge
Inter beat Lazio 3-0 away at the Stadio Olimpico last week, so they come into this rematch with a clean recent reference point. They are also top of Serie A with 85 points from 36 matches, which is why the final feels like a bonus opportunity rather than a rescue job.
The stronger case for Inter is up front. Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram are back together in the starting XI, and that pairing matters in a one-off final. Lautaro has 17 goals and 6 assists in Serie A this season, while Thuram has already delivered 2 goals and 1 assist in the Coppa Italia.
What Lazio are trying to reverse
Lazio are eighth in Serie A with 51 points from 36 matches, so the cup is carrying far more weight for them than it is for Inter. The lineup help is there, too, with Mattia Zaccagni and Nuno Tavares back after being rested in the league meeting. Zaccagni has 1 goal and 1 assist in this Coppa Italia run, which gives Lazio a bit more threat in the final third.
That does not erase the problem Lazio have just lived through. A 3-0 home defeat to Inter only last week is not a good starting point for a final, even at the same ground, and the pressure is on them to make the game look different quickly.
The short version is that Inter look better set for the evening as a football match, while Lazio are playing for something closer to their season. If the cup goes their way, it rescues the campaign and secures Europa League qualification. If it does not, Inter's recent win over them will sit even heavier.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
