Former AC Milan defender Massimo Oddo has said that Inter can win the Scudetto but people should not write off Lazio yet, according to a report in the Italian print media today.
Speaking during an interview with Tuttosport today, Massimo Oddo explained that he thinks Lazio should be considered as a possible Scudetto winner this season in their second campaign with Maurizio Sarri.
The two teams are playing each other on Friday evening at the Stadio Olimpico and Lazio can leapfrog the Nerazzurri with a victory.
“Inter are a team that can win the Scudetto, this does not mean that Lazio cannot, even if the Nerazzurri have something more. The Nerazzurri are one of the pretenders to the title. They have lost some important players, but just as many have arrived.”
Massimo Oddo was asked about his relationship with Simone Inzaghi and he explained that the Inter coach has always had a more tactical mind than him.
“Us two coaches? I wanted to do something else. Inzaghi on the other hand has always been more on the technical side.”
In terms of the match on Friday, Massimo Oddo stressed the quality of Lazio but admitted they may not have the same technical level as Inter right now.
“The Biancoceleste squad is strong, well coached, has very good players. I don’t know if the hosts possess the technical values of the Nerazzurri, probably on paper they have something less. But we are still talking about a great team, with all the credentials to put any opponent, including Inter, in difficulty.”
Massimo Oddo says that Denzel Dumfries has improved drastically during his first season at Inter.
“Dumfries is more like me than Lazzari. The Lazio man is quick. The Dutchman is a complete defender, in terms of characteristics and physicality he is more complete than his rival.
“When I saw him at the beginning of last year, he did not excite me at all, on the contrary. Then he took giant steps forward.”
He then suggested that Inter’s defeat at the Stadio Olimpico to Lazio last season actually cost them the league title.
“If we look at the last league table, with Inter finishing two away from Milan, you could say it cost them the Scudetto. Analysing what happened, however, that was one of the Nerazzurri’s few missteps.
“The goal with the man down? There is a regulation and this must be followed. When it doesn’t happen, tempers flare. If we focused on the fact that only the referee can interrupt the game, there wouldn’t be any kind of problem.”