Coppa Italia final: Lazio vs Inter Milan – Dele-Bashiru chases Super Eagles history in Rome

The spotlight at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico will tonight fall on the battle between Lazio and Inter Milan for the Coppa Italia crown, Afrik-Foot reports.

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru will be a vital part ofthat showdown as the former Manchester City lad carries the chance to write his name into a small but respected piece of Nigerian football history.

If Lazio upset newly crowned Serie A champions Inter Milan, Dele-Bashiru will become only the fifth Nigerian international to win the Coppa Italia. He would join former Super Eagles stars Obafemi Martins, Joel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro on that exclusive list.

I nostri convocati 🗒️#LazioInter#CoppaItaliaFrecciarossa#AvantiLazio pic.twitter.com/GLUxnho6GI

— S.S.Lazio (@OfficialSSLazio) May 13, 2026

The last Nigerian to lift the trophy was Akinsanmiro with Inter in 2023, while Onazi remains the last Nigerian player to win it with Lazio after the Rome club defeated city rivals AS Roma in the 2013 final.

This year’s final arrives with Inter carrying the weight of favourites. Cristian Chivu’s side have dominated Italian football in recent months and arrive in Rome chasing a domestic double after sealing the Serie A title.

Their form has been frightening. The Nerazzurri are unbeaten in nine matches across all competitions and have already beaten Lazio 3-0 at the Olimpico only four days before the final.

Inter’s attack has been the most feared in Italy this season. Lautaro Martínez has enjoyed another prolific campaign and has a strong record against Lazio, while Marcus Thuram has become one of Europe’s most productive forwards since April. The width provided by Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries has also stretched opponents throughout the season.

Lazio, however, have survived the competition the hard way. Maurizio Sarri’s side are struggling in Serie A and sit outside the European places, making the Coppa Italia their last route into continental football next season.

Their journey to the final has been built on a tough, never-quit mentality rather than dominance. They edged past AC Milan 1-0, survived Bologna on penalties and then overcame Atalanta in a dramatic semi-final decided by another shootout.

Teenage goalkeeper Edoardo Motta emerged as one of the stories of their campaign after producing decisive penalty saves against Atalanta.

Dele-Bashiru’s influence in Lazio’s cup run

While Dele-Bashiru has not always been a regular starter in Serie A, the Nigerian midfielder has become one of the club’s most important players in the Coppa Italia.

The 25-year-old has delivered key moments during the club’s run to the final. Against Bologna in the quarter-final, Lazio were trailing before Dele-Bashiru changed the tempo of the game shortly after the restart. His clever assist helped Sarri’s men recover and eventually force penalties.

He then produced perhaps his biggest moment of the tournament in the semi-final first leg against Atalanta. Timing his run perfectly into the box, the midfielder calmly lifted a composed chipped finish over the goalkeeper to hand Lazio the lead in a tense 2-2 draw.

Sarri also trusted him during the exhausting second leg against Atalanta. Introduced late in the match with Lazio reduced to 10 men, Dele-Bashiru brought energy and composure to a tiring midfield as the Rome club survived extra time before winning on penalties.

Wednesday’s final could therefore represent the biggest night of his European club career.

Lazio are expected to rely on discipline, compact defending and counter-attacks through Gustav Isaksen and Mattia Zaccagni. Inter, meanwhile, will try to control possession and overwhelm Lazio with quick transitions and movement from their front two.

Most predictions favour Inter to win, especially given Lazio’s poor recent record against the Milan giants. But cup finals in Italy rarely follow simple scripts.

Majority of Nigerians will be rooting for Dele-Bashiru as he aims to clinch the first trophy of his career and Lazio’s first Coppa Italia title since 2019.