Strong mentality, finely balanced side and favourable fixtures are why Lazio will beat Juve and Inter to Serie A title

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  • Lazio last won the Serie A 20 years ago under Sven-Goran Eriksson but have almost surprised themselves with their position in the title race this campaign.

    The mighty Juventus remained the team to beat as they pursued a ninth consecutive Scudetto and Inter Milan, rejuvenated by the appointment of the vibrant Antonio Conte and heavy investment, were widely regarded as their nearest challengers.

    With 14 wins in their last 16 games and a statement 2-1 victory over the Nerazzurri at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday night has put Lazio just one point behind the Old Lady.

    The prospect of winning the league probably didn’t even figure in Lazio fans’ wildest dreams at the start of the season yet here it is now, firmly in their sights, close enough to reach out and touch.

    But are they capable of maintaining their recent form? Can they keep their key players fit and firing? And do they have the temperament to hold their nerve?

    There are plenty of reasons why Lazio won’t be champions after all is said and done, but the reasons why they will are starting to stack up…

    STRONG MENTALITY

    You don’t go 19 games unbeaten in Italy’s top flight without boasting plenty of character. These players don’t know when they’re beaten and that’s a credit to the way Simone Inzaghi has molded this group.

    Their win over Inter was just the latest in a number of comebacks this season while no team in Serie A has scored more than their injury-time six goals, pointing to their relentless nature and determination to keep going until the final whistle.

    At the heart of Lazio’s rearguard lies a warrior in every sense of the word. Francesco Acerbi has battled cancer and resurrected his career. At 32, he’s one of the most underrated centre-backs in Europe and made a couple of critical blocks during another stellar performance against Inter.

    The Biancocelesti didn’t anticipate a title fight, but now that they’re well and truly in one, they have no intentions of backing off.

    BALANCED SIDE

    An out-and-out prolific striker is often a prerequisite of a title-winning side and in Ciro Immobile, Lazio are not wanting in that department. With 26 goals in just 24 appearances, Inzaghi can hardly ask for more from his front man who is on course to break Gonzalo Higuain’s record of 36 goals in a single Serie A season.

    Of course, much of Immobile’s goal-scoring exploits are owed to the creativity of Luis Alberto who leads the division with 11 assists so far alongside Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s dynamic play in a midfield that’s expertly anchored by Lucas Leiva.

    Scoring goals wasn’t a problem for Lazio last season either, it was their struggles to keep them out which cost them. That’s where they’ve improved massively in the current campaign, boasting the best defence in the league having only conceded 21 times in 24 games.

    They defend manfully with a back-five while Leiva plays as a sweeper in front of it and the midfielders on either side of him cover the wider areas of the pitch from where they’re also well placed to receive possession in the event of a turnover and launch an attack in the transition.

    It’s a system they used well last season but is far more polished this time around.

    FIXTURES

    There’s still a long way to go for Lazio but from now until the end of the season, they only face top-five opposition twice – away fixtures at Atalanta and Juventus.

    Maurizio Sarri’s side on the other hand have Inter, Roma, Atalanta and Lazio themselves to encounter and have the added distraction of chasing Champions League success to contend with as well. A group stage elimination from the Europa League means Lazio can focus solely on the league.

    As for Inter, they are still in the Europa League and have Juventus, Roma and Atalanta to face in Serie A, all away from home.

    It’s not going to be easy, not by any stretch of the imagination, but Lazio have put themselves in a fantastic position to pull off the unthinkable.

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