No doubt I have been busy this week, I have picked out four classic European fixtures this weekend which are all on the box and all offer bet builder markets. I have spent time studying and researching the games and producing cheat sheets and narrowed it down to my favourite 3 or 4 picks in each game. We kick things off in Italy for the 5pm KO between Lazio and Inter Milan in a massive game in Serie A. Both sides are ranked amongst the top 6 and are expected to challenge for the European places as they almost always do, making this a vitally important game. Scroll down to the bottom of the article to see my cheat sheet for the game which should help you with your own betting predictions.
Lazio v Inter Bet Builder tips
Pedro to have 1+ Shot on Target v Inter
The never-aging Spaniard forward continues to strut his stuff in a top European league at the ripe old age of 34. He actually became the first player in 40 years to move between Lazio and Roma which shows he isn’t an individual who is scared of taking a risk and punished Roma when he scored against them in Lazio’s 3-2 win a couple of weeks back.
While the Spaniard primarily plays as a left-winger he has the ability to play on either flank. He is a two-footed player which makes him effective on either side. Inter like to play 3 at the back with Croatian winger Ivan Perisic shoe-horned in at left wing back. Pedro could certainly have some joy against a player who isn’t the most stable defensively. Referring to the cheat sheet you can see he averages a very healthy 1.08 shots on target per game and I fancy him to cause Inter a number of problems down either flank.
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Pedro 1+ Shot on Target v Inter @ 1.62 at Paddy Power
Edin Dzeko to have 1+ Shot on Target v Inter
Another player who simply doesn’t seem to age is Inter Milan striker Edin Dzeko. The Bosnian forward has made a flying start to his Inter career with 6 Serie A goals in just 7 appearances. He moved from Roma on a free transfer this summer with the tough task of replacing Romelu Lukaku and it has to be said- so far, so good.
He simply knows how to score in this league and is approaching 100 Serie A goals and I am certain that is a milestone he will be keen to eclipse this season. His electric start to the season has seen him ranked as the fifth highest performing player in Europe, ranked behind only Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, Liverpool’s Mohammed Salah, Borussia Dortmunds Erling-Braut Haaland, and Paris Saint Germain’s Kylian Mbappe in terms of how strong his start to the season has been. Given the amount of goals he has scored, no surprise to see he ranks highly on the cheat sheet. He is averaging a very healthy 1.38 shots on target and with 5 goals in his last 4 league games going into this one, I would be surprised to see him not register a shot on goal here.
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Edin Dzeko 1+ Shot on Target v Lazio @ 1.25 at Paddy Power
Both Teams to Score
Two of the most prolific teams in the league meet here and I am expecting fireworks. No side has scored more than the 22 notched by Inter so far this season at a rate of over 3 goals scored per game. Lazio aren’t too far behind and the 15 they have scored sees them as the league’s fourth top scorers. However, they aren’t the most solid defensively and the attacking style of play employed by both managers leaves them a little vulnerable in defence. Inter have the highest BTTS record in the division with 86% of their fixtures delivering in this market and Lazio aren’t too far behind with a very healthy 71%. The game looks a real shoe-in for goals and I fancy it to be a bit of a classic.
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Both Teams to Score @ 1.5 at Paddy Power
Lucas Leiva to be Booked v Inter
We finish things off with a booking. It is hard to look past veteran Lazio holding midfielder Lucas Leiva. Many of you will remember the Brazilian from his time at Liverpool and it is fair to say the man isn’t shy of a tackle, nor is he shy of a touch of controversy. His style of play and gritty personality mean he is never shy of a booking as his 114 career yellow cards to date can confirm. He is indispensable under Sarri and viewed as a vitally important player by the Italian. He will have the very difficult task of trying to keep a prolific Inter Milan attack at bay.
As you can see from the cheat sheet, he ranks second at the club in both fouls committed (1.7) and yellow cards (2) this season. He will likely be tasked with keeping tabs on the likes of Arturo Vidal, Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez who all rank highly in the fouls drawn section. Lucas looks the ideal candidate in this match-up and hopefully he can deliver and get himself in the referees notebook.
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Lucas Leiva to be Carded v Inter
Lazio v Inter Cheat Sheet
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing *
How to watch Lazio v Inter in the Serie A
📅 When is Lazio v Inter? / Saturday, 16 September 2021, 17:00 BST
🏟 Where is Lazio v Inter taking place? / Stadio Olimpico (Rome)
📺 What TV Channel is Lazio v Inter on? / BT Sport 2
📱 Online Live Streaming for Lazio v Inter / bet365
🟨 …And who is the referee for Lazio v Inter? / Massimiliano Irrati 🇮🇹
