Inter Milan will take their 21st Scudetto celebration to the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday evening, but the trip to Lazio is about more than a lap of honor. The champions arrive in Rome with a rare domestic double in their sights and with one eye already on next week's Coppa Italia final.
Inter were formally crowned kings of Calcio last Sunday after sealing top spot with three rounds remaining, and they did it with 82 points, 12 clear of second-placed Napoli. Their 2-0 home win over Parma last weekend confirmed the title, and it also extended a run in which Simone Inzaghi's team have scored at least twice in each of their last six fixtures.
That form has come with little room for doubt. Inter's last loss came in the Derby della Madonnina against AC Milan more than two months ago, and they have won their last two matches at Lazio's stadium by an 8-0 aggregate scoreline. They are still chasing their best-ever Serie A total of 90 points, which keeps even a title already wrapped up from feeling finished.
Lazio, though, have their own reasons to care about Saturday night. They are four points behind Atalanta, who sit in the last possible continental place, and could still climb into seventh spot. That route matters because only if Inter win the cup will Lazio secure a Conference League berth through league position.
Marco Baroni's side have steadied themselves after a rough patch. They beat Cremonese on Monday after a 3-3 draw with Udinese one week earlier, and they have been improved since winter. Lazio also know what happened in the reverse fixture, when they lost 2-0 at San Siro, and their last league win over Inter dates back to August 2022.
The tension in this one is simple. Inter are already champions and using the match as preparation, while Lazio need points and a little help to keep their European hopes alive. That means a game that could look routine on paper carries a different weight for both benches, with the champions trying to stay sharp and Lazio trying to make sure a season that has recovered well does not flatten out now.
What comes next is clearer for Inter than for anyone else. They will move on to the cup final with the chance to finish a season that has already delivered the league crown by adding another domestic trophy. Lazio, meanwhile, have to keep pace in the league table and hope the cup result opens the door they need.
