What: Italian Serie A
Who: Lazio vs Roma
When: Sunday 11th November, 2012, at 14:00 UK time
Where: Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy
Derby Fever
Lazio prepare to meet Roma in one of Italy’s most anticipated and controversial derbies, the Derby della Capitale. Leading their fierce rivals by only two points, the Biancoceleste will want to record another win over the Giallorossi and continue their derby form, having beaten Roma in both meetings last season.
Lazio may be in a better position than Roma at the moment, but the match will be a tough battle according to the club’s sporting director Igli Tare.
“The Rome derby is a league of its own in Italy. It will not be an easy game because we are playing against a great team and we have to be very careful”, declared Tare, before highlighting his side’s chances: “The attacking game of Roma is known, they play in a very offensive way, but we know what their weaknesses are and how to hit them.”
Vladimir Petkovic’s men should be lifted by the news that Ederson will be their sole absentee for the occasion, as opposed to a growing injury list for Roma.
Out for the Win
With Roma’s last win over Lazio dating back to March 2011, the Giallorossi know that their fans are desperate to taste victory over their rivals once again. Sitting in sixth position and directly underneath adversaries Lazio, a win here would allow the 2001 league champions to occupy fifth place. Needless to say, motivation rarely needs to be manufactured for occasions such as this one.
The capital side might have ended their last league match with an impressive 4-1 victory over Palermo, but their luck has been relatively poor recently as they capitulated against Udinese and Parma in the previous two Serie A clashes. The 171st Derby della Capitale is the perfect opportunity for Zdenek Zeman and his side to change course.
Roma will be boosted by the return of Daniele De Rossi and Pablo Osvaldo for this one, but will rue their luck as Maarten Stekelenburg and Mattia Destro miss the match.
Recent form
Lazio:
Lazio 1-1 Torino (31/10; Serie A)
Catania 4-0 Lazio (04/11; Serie A)
Lazio 3-0 Panathinaikos (08/11; Europa League)
Roma:
Roma 2-3 Udinese (28/10; Serie A)
Parma 3-2 Roma (31/10; Serie A)
Roma 4-1 Palermo (04/11; Serie A)
Key absences
Lazio: Ederson (doubt)
Roma: Junior Tallo (doubt); Ivan Piris (doubt); Panagiotis Tachtsidis (doubt); Nicolas Lopez (doubt); Maarten Stekelenburg (doubt); Bogdan Lobont; Mattia Destro (suspended)
Players to watch
Lazio – Miroslav Klose: The German striker scored in the Rome derby last season, but he will want to add his name to the scoresheet once again. A dangerous goal-hunter despite his age, Klose will pose real problems if he is left alone for even a second.
Roma – Francesco Totti: The legendary captain will be playing in his 29th Rome derby. With eight strikes so far in this special fixture to his name, he is just three shy of Dino da Costa’s total of 11. Beating this record does not seem impossible for Totti.
Match Prediction
Both teams appear to be close together in terms of quality, but Roma are suffering in the injury department. With Lazio the home side, the Biancoceleste will fancy their chances of upsetting their cross-town rivals. Lazio 2-0 Roma.
