Lazio Vs Inter Milan [0–2] – Coppa Italia Final 2025/2026: How Cristian Chivu Tactics Outclassed Lazio In Rome – Tactical Analysis

SS Lazio met Inter Milan at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome for the Coppa Italia Final, and the match saw Inter complete a double after having confirmed the league title a few days earlier.

Inter Milan have had a very successful season despite the disappointing early elimination from the UEFA Champions League, as they have gone on to win not only the Serie A title but also the Coppa Italia, confirming their domination of the Italian scene this season.

Building up on this success by rejuvenating and improving the squad to remain competitive next season will be obligatory for Cristian Chivu and Inter Milan to battle on three fronts without impacting the teams’ performances like what happened this season in the UEFA Champions League due to injuries and lack of squad depth.

On the other hand, Lazio failed to lift the trophy, which would have saved their season, following a very disappointing ninth-place finish in Serie A.

In this tactical analysis article, we explore the reasons for Lazio’s loss and why Maurizio Sarri’s side failed to mount a comeback or score against a powerful Inter Milan side.

 Lazio Vs Inter Milan Lineups & Formations

Lazio Lineup Vs Inter Milan

Maurizio Sarri started the match using his preferred 4-3-3 formation, with Edoardo Motta as goalkeeper, Adam Marušić as right-back, Mario Gila and Alessio Romagnoli as centre-backs, and Nuno Tavares as left-back.

The midfield line was made up of Patric, Kenneth Taylor, and Toma Bašić.

Upfront, the attacking line was composed of Gustav Isaksen and Mattia Zaccagni as wingers, with Tijjani Noslin as the team’s main striker.

Inter Milan Lineup Vs Lazio

On the other side, Cristian Chivu lined his team up in their usual 3-5-2 formation, with Josep Martínez occupying his usual spot in goal behind the centre-backs Alessandro Bastoni, Manuel Akanji, and Yann Aurel Bisseck.

Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco started as the two wing-backs, while the midfield was made up of Nicolò Barella, Petar Sučić, and Piotr Zieliński.

In attack, Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram started as the two strikers.

Lazio Defensive Plan Vs Inter Milan

Lazio started the match using a 5-4-1 formation in the defensive phase to guarantee numerical superiority in key areas and try countering Inter Milan’s attacks thanks to their intensity in those areas.

Moreover, Lazio started with a medium-to-low defensive block and tight lines to prevent Inter Milan from building attacks easily.

The aim was to isolate both strikers and complicate the link between midfielders, wing-backs, and strikers.

This compact defending style pushed Inter Milan to resort to longer periods of build-up from the back, while waiting for the correct movements without the ball, especially from one of the two wing-backs or from Martínez, who is known for retreating regularly to receive the ball with his back to the goal and contribute a lot in the playmaking.

It is true that Inter Milan did not always succeed in serving Martínez, but in the times they did so, the Argentinian helped a lot in ensuring the circulation of the ball inside Lazio’s half, especially by opting for passes towards both wings.

That said, Lazio succeeded in limiting Inter Milan’s vertical passes, especially towards midfield players and strikers, obliging Inter Milan to usually advance through either Dimarco or Dumfries from the wings, or by making Bastoni lean towards the left flank to advance with the ball from that side.

Lazio’s defensive system succeeded in slowing down Inter Milan’s potentially dangerous attacks and in making them reach Lazio’s goal with difficulty, especially in the first part of the first half.

Lazio Attacking Struggles & Lack Of Possession

Lazio conceded a goal at a bad time following a corner kick from Inter Milan.

This goal came after a period in which Lazio defended well and forced Inter Milan to resort to solutions that did not really threaten their defence.

The goal from a set-piece, however, changed the way Lazio were approaching the game and obviously obliged them to change their match plan, since they needed to advance and score.

Lazio tried to advance more often, especially in the defensive phase, to apply more high pressing on Inter Milan’s players and make more high recoveries.

But Inter Milan’s resistance to high pressing and their ability to keep possession posed a big issue for Lazio, as it made them chase the ball for too long and, in the end, without necessarily achieving results in terms of interceptions.

As a result, Lazio spent a lot of energy chasing the ball and defending at the expense of attacking.

What impacted the team even more up front, and made Lazio lose the ball quickly and be unable to stay in Inter Milan’s half, was the absence of clear attacking references, especially a proper striker.

This absence of a striker meant Inter Milan’s three centre-backs could mark Lazio’s attacking players without issue, as Noslin posed little threat and was more of a dynamic player who retreated and moved between the lines rather than positioning himself between the centre-backs and blocking them.

Lazio did not have a strong presence in the final third, which led to them losing the ball quickly, as Noslin, Isaksen, and Zaccagni lacked support whenever they had it.

Above all, Lazio’s main issue was that they failed to gain possession and had to defend constantly, as it was difficult for them to win the ball back.

Even during the few times when Lazio succeeded in intercepting Inter Milan’s passes, they lacked quality in terms of passes.

They were obliged to pass the ball quickly in order to avoid Inter Milan’s dangerous counterpressing.

One of the situations that saw Lazio miss a potentially dangerous opportunity was when Patric failed to provide the key pass to Noslin, despite having the chance to put Noslin in a 1v1 duel against the goalkeeper.

Lazio’s players, however, looked hesitant on such occasions, which prevented them from making the right decisions, as they made them in fear of having the ball intercepted and while lacking confidence.