Lazio and AS Roma have always shared a feeling of deep hatred. The Derby della Capitale is not considered one of the hottest duels in the city for nothing. The Roman duel is particularly explosive due to the fan rivalry between the two clubs. Its not just about winning, its about humiliating your opponent. While Roma are traditionally based in the left-wing, working-class district of Testaccio in the south of the city, Lazio has its origins in the wealthy Parioli in the north of Rome.
Lazio are currently in third place in the Italian Serie A with 49 points. Roma follow in fifth place with 47 points. The city rivals are only separated by two points, which makes the derby even more interesting and a so-called six-point game.
Should Lazio win, they can clearly set themselves apart from Roma. At the same time, Atalanta Bergamo and Juventus could get closer to Roma and oust them from the places of European competition. Should Roma win, they will overtake Lazio and could find themselves in a close race for second place with the two Milan clubs, AC Milan and Inter. So, this game is more than a derby and could lead to a preliminary decision in the race for the UEFA Champions League places.
This tactical analysis preview will be an analysis of the tactics that can be expected from both sides.
Potential Lineups
The two Roman clubs will also have to contend with tricky European fixtures away from home in the week, with the possibility of further injuries to the squad. Maurizio Sarri may be quite happy with a draw on Sunday though if he can start to bring back some of his most important players soon.
Lazio could only draw away at Bologna last week, after the very impressive win over runaway leaders Napoli the week before. Avoiding defeat to their most bitter of rivals will be the priority for the Biancocelesti here.
Lazio (4-3-3): Provedel; Lazzari, Casale, Romagnoli, Hysaj; Luis Alberto, Cataldi, Milinković-Savić; Pedro, Felipe Anderson, Zaccagni
Jose Mourinho will be absent from the touchline on Sunday evening after having his two-match ban appeal dismissed. He is forging a familiar us-against-them mentality at Roma though, and his players will be doing everything they can to claim the three points for their coach.
Roma also experienced disappointment last weekend after beating Juve. A 4-3 home defeat at the hands of Sassuolo was overshadowed by some controversial refereeing decisions and a red card for defender Marash Kumbulla.
That means further readjustment to the starting XI for Mourinho. But he will probably be happy enough with a draw on Sunday. Don’t expect too many goals, but even if there are some, this game will probably finish all square.
Roma (3-4-2-1): Patricio; Ibañez, Smalling, Mancini; Zalewski, Matić, Bove, Pellegrini; Dybala, Wijnaldum; Abraham
Lazio’s threat against Roma’s back-three
Opting for a 4-3-3 formation at Lazio, Maurizio Sarri likes to play the ball from deep. In order to avoid high pressure from rivals, he positions his defenders out wide and also assigns a goalkeeper and a defensive midfielder to play-make.
Maurizio Sarri likes his teams to build out from the back through the goalkeeper and slowly play through the thirds as the team moves up the pitch. They keep a 4-1 build-up when the ball is in their third. This is to maintain security on the ball in what would be a dangerous area to lose the ball. The ball is moving along the back line, with the holding midfielder giving depth to the build-up, otherwise, it would be too predictable.
In goal-kick situati
