Inter have learned lesson from underestimating Kairat, says Augusto

Inter midfielder Carlos Augusto believes Inter have learnt from their mistake of underestimating Kairat Almaty.

The Brazilian scored the winner in their 2-1 win over the Kazakhstani side in the Champions League, which many believed would be an easy win at the San Siro.

Inter face a much harder test on paper before the international break as they prepare to host eighth-place Lazio in Serie A, where the Nerazzurri are looking to record three consecutive wins.

Augusto admitted their approach towards their game against Kairat was not good enough, while he revealed that head coach Cristian Chivu also demanded more intensity from his side.

"Our approach needed to be better, but the important thing is that we managed to win," said Augusto after the Champions League victory.

"I’m happy about the goal, but what really matters is the victory. We know how strong we are, but we have to show it every time. More focus is needed, but getting the win was important.

"We played a good match. Everyone expects these games to end 5-0, but these days, there are no easy opponents in football. What counts is that we got the win.

"He [Chivu] wants us to step up our intensity. We were a bit slow in possession in the first half, but we created chances and ended up scoring twice. However, we can still do more.

"But ultimately, what matters most is that Inter win. We have to keep pushing forward. These games are great to play in; we have the quality to win them, but we need to give our best to make sure we do.”

After losing three of their first four league games this season, Lazio are now unbeaten in their last six Serie A matches (three wins, three draws), most recently beating Cagliari 2-0.

Gustav Isaksen and Mattia Zaccagni were on the scoresheet, and Lazio are aiming to record back-to-back victories for the first time this season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Inter – Hakan Calhanoglu

Hakan Calhanoglu has already equalled his goal tally from last season with five goals in Serie A this campaign, including a brace in his last home game.

In the top five European leagues this season, no player has scored more goals from outside the box than he has (three, level with Real Betis' Antony and Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez).

Lazio – Pedro

Pedro has netted three Serie A goals against Inter – his joint-most against any side in the competition alongside Monza and Udinese.

Indeed, his last brace in the competition came against the Nerazzurri in May 2025, in a 2-2 draw at San Siro.

MATCH PREDICTION – INTER WIN

Inter have won six of their last seven Serie A matches (L1), scoring 15 goals and conceding six, after suffering two consecutive defeats. Furthermore, the Nerazzurri are the only team to have found the net in all 10 matches this season, for an average of 2.4 goals per game.

They are also unbeaten in their last six home games against Lazio in Serie A (W4 D2), after losing three of their previous seven (W2 D2); in their last five league meetings at San Siro, both teams have found the net.

Inter (12.6%) and Lazio (12.5%) are two of the three teams in Serie A with the best conversion rates – only Cremonese (15.8%) boast a higher one; meanwhile, the Nerazzurri are the team that plays the most passes into the opposition penalty area (356, at least 64 more than any other team – Lazio in 13th place with 181).

And if that is not enough for you to expect a high-scoring affair, Inter and Lazio have scored four goals each in the opening 15 minutes of Serie A matches this season, which is the joint-most in the competition.

Inter have also scored 10 goals in the final 30 minutes of games in the competition this season, which is double Lazio's total of five.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Inter – 66.6%

Draw – 18.2%

Lazio – 15.2%