MILAN (AP) — Just four days after facing off against each other in the league, Lazio and Inter Milan meet again at the Stadio Olimpico. This time with a title at stake.
And both teams know that winning Wednesday’s Italian Cup final would mean much more than lifting the trophy.
For newly-crowned Serie A champion Inter Milan it is a chance to cement its domination of Italian soccer this season after the disappointment of last year. For Lazio, it is a path back into Europe.
Not since José Mourinho led Inter to a treble in 2010 — including the Champions League trophy — has Inter won the league and cup in the same season.
Inter coach Christian Chivu, who is quickly making a name for himself in the managerial ranks after helping Parma avoid relegation last season, played on the 2010 team.
“There’s no need to compare different eras or different teams,” Chivu said. “Times change, soccer changes.
“Both the 2010 team and this 2026 side have brought happiness to the fans, and that’s what matters most.”
Chivu is in his first season at Inter after replacing Simone Inzaghi. Doing the double would assuage the disappointment of last campaign, which promised so much but ultimately left Inter empty-handed.
With just over a month to go to the end of last season, Inter was on course for a treble of trophies but finished one point below Serie A champion Napoli, lost in the Italian Cup semifinals and was routed 5-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the most lopsided Champions League final in history.
There is no chance of a treble this year as Inter was eliminated by Norwegian upstart Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League.
The Nerazzurri have bounced back from that disappointment and, after clinching the Serie A title with three rounds to spare, show little sign of letting up.
Indeed Inter crushed Lazio 3-0 on Saturday in Serie A, in a dress rehearsal for Wednesday’s cup final in the same stadium in Rome.
Inter was utterly dominant in the first half but Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri placed the blame on his players’ approach.
“Inter is stronger, but with this attitude we would concede two goals against any team,” Sarri said after the match. “We shouldn’t be scared, that attitude is our fault and not down to the merits of Inter.
“(The final) will be a different match and it’s clear that we don’t want to have this approach, it’s also clear that Inter is technically superior.”
For Lazio, it is the only chance to play European soccer next season as the winner of the Italian Cup qualifies for the Europa League.
If Inter — which will play in the Champions League next season — wins, then the Europa League place will be given to the team which finishes sixth in the league, with the seventh-place finisher going into the European Conference League.
Lazio is ninth, seven points below seventh-place Atalanta, with only two league matches remaining.
“There’s no need to change our heads, today’s approach is the result of the fact that today’s match didn’t count for anything unlike Wednesday,” Sarri said. “But it is a mistake to think like that, there was some chance of reaching seventh place and these matches can create fear, which stops you.
“It’s not ideal, but I hope the boys are willing to show that this isn’t them because there’s a trophy up for grabs.”
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