Milan could have a significant numerical advantage in the stands at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, with Lazio's ongoing fan boycott leaving the home end largely empty.
The Lazio ultras' protest against the club's ownership, and president Claudio Lotito in particular, has been running for some time. There was some speculation that a visit from the league leaders might tempt fans back through the turnstiles, but according to Il Messaggero, that has not happened.
Around 12,000 individual tickets have been sold so far, on top of roughly 3,000 season-ticket holders. Of those 12,000, between 9,000 and 10,000 are expected to be Milan supporters. That would leave approximately 6,000 Lazio fans scattered around the ground, comfortably outnumbered by a travelling contingent of 12,000-plus.
It is the kind of atmosphere that can tilt a match. Gennaro Gattuso's side sit top of Serie A and will walk into what should feel closer to a home fixture than an away one, with the Olimpico's usual hostility diluted by swathes of red and black.