Prediction: Lazio vs Roma

16th October 2011

The Roman giants have had far from perfect start to the new season, but they seem to be on the uptrend at the moment and this promises to be an exciting affair. Lazio and Roma sit tied on points after five rounds, meaning that a win in this clash will not only earn one team the bragging rights but also see them gain advantage over their rivals in the top 4 race.

With hardly any big names in the squad, Lazio largely impressed last season as they managed to spent big part of the league campaign very close to the top of the standings, although they eventually had to settle for a Europa League place. The club owners made sure the team stay competitive by signing several very good players in the summer, with Miroslav Klose and Djibril Cisse adding much needed quality and experience to the front line. The team started the season well, easily winning their Europa League play-off against Rabotnicki before playing out an entertaining 2:2 draw at San Siro, but slip ups against Vaslui and Genoa acted as a big blow to the players’ confidence. Lazio have since shown some improvement, beating Cesena and Fiorentina on the road and sharing spoils with Palermo, meaning the hosts enter this game in good spirits. Coach Edy Reja is still without Stefano Mauri, Matuzalem and Simone Del Nero, but Miroslav Klose should be fit to play after recovering from injury.

Roma have been largely underperforming over the last few years and their fans are eagerly awaiting for the season when their beloved team will be able to mount a serious title challenge. Following heavy summer spending and the arrival of Stekelenburg, Pjanic, Krkic, Osvaldo and Heinze, the hopes were high at Olimpico, but Luis Enrique’s team keep showing they are still not ready to fight for honours. While early elimination from Europe and opening Serie A defeat to Cagliari were seen as major setbacks, the team have raised their game since, picking up eight points from next four Serie A games. There are no doubts that they still have a lot of room for improvement, but with games against Lazio, Palermo, Genoa and Milan coming up, the Giallorossi will have to be at their best or risk dropping further down the standings. Captain Francesco Totti will be sorely missed, but the good thing is that Pjanic, Pizarro and Stekelenburg are available for selection.

Conclusion

These kinds of games are usually very difficult to predict since current form rarely plays a part in the final outcome, but draw looks like the best option here. Neither team will want to lose the big derby after notching up a few good results in a row, so we can easily see the teams canceling each other out.

Verdict: Draw (X)

Best Odds: 11/5

Bookmaker: Victor Chandler