Lazio vs. Roma, Battle for Supremacy in Serie A
Arguably the most fierce rivalry in Italy reignites this weekend as Lazio and Roma lock horns and do battle in the 159th edition of the Rome derby in Serie A. Lazio, head into this latest league outing after claiming a crucial 1-0 win against Feyenoord in Champions League action in the week, but their form in Italy's top tier remains poor.
If they lose here against their most-hated foes, Maurizio Sarri's side will have already lost six times in Serie A this season, As such, this match takes on even more importance than usual for the hosts.
Roma will also be desperate to take victory here though, as Jose Mourinho's outfit lost both of their two meetings in the league last season without even scoring.
Unsurprisingly, the Rome derby has featured more red cards than any other Serie A fixture over the past three decades, and in 38 of 58 hard-fought contests over that period, someone has been sent for an early shower at Stadio Olimpico.
The Giallorossi started their league campaign almost as dismally as Lazio, but largely thanks to the input of loan striker Romelu Lukaku they have now worked their way back up the table and to within range of the all-important top four.
Including last week's dramatic 2-1 win over Lecce, when Lukaku and Sardar Azmoun both scored during stoppage time to turn the game on its head, Roma's record would be good enough for third place in the standings over the last eight rounds; their tally of 16 points during that time is fewer only than Juventus and Inter (both 19).
Lazio possible starting lineup:
Provedel; Lazzari, Patric, Romagnoli, Marusic; Guendouzi, Rovella, Alberto; Anderson, Immobile, Pedro
Roma possible starting lineup:
Patricio; Mancini, Llorente, Ndicka; Karsdorp, Cristante, Paredes, Aouar, Zalewski; Dybala, Lukaku
Even if this edition of the derby is level late on, all is not over until the final whistle sounds: Roma have scored the most goals (nine) during the final 15 minutes of play in Serie A this season; Lazio have found the net just twice during the same time period.
They may not employ Maurizio Sarri's intricate passing patterns, but Jose Mourinho's men never know when they are beaten - and one goal could be enough to seal an overdue success against their capital-city rivals
