Serie A: Bitter City Rivals Collide at Derby della Capitale

AS Roma vs Lazio

Bragging rights are on the line when AS Roma and Lazio renew their famous Derby della Capitale matchup this Sunday at Stadio Olimpico.

And one of the backdrops for this Serie A match is the rivalry between Jose Mourinho and Maurizio Sarri, since these are two coaches who share a history and don’t necessarily like each other.

Following Lazio’s defeat to Feyenoord in the Europa League, Mourinho couldn’t help himself, saying that I Biancocelesti are now favourites to win the Conference League as a hit back to Sarri’s comments few weeks ago about AS Roma overspending for nothing.

Now in the actual Serie A proceedings, the fourth-seeded AS Roma are ahead of fifth-seeded Lazio by only one point, so whoever wins here will also get the coveted top four spot this weekend.

Talking Points

Nicolo Zaniolo slowly regaining rhythm for AS Roma

I Giallorossi are doing well despite Paulo Dybala’s absence, thanks to the resurgence of Nicolo Zaniolo.

Zaniolo has been regarded as one of the top young players in world football today, but injuries have halted his progress over the last couple of years.

But Jose Mourinho remains a big believer of his and the 23-year-old attacking midfielder repaid his trust by finally opening his scoring account this term in these past two games.

He spearheaded their 3-1 comeback against Hellas Verona on Tuesday, and then he was pivotal in their Europa League final group stage matchday victory over Ludogorets via the exact same scoreline.

Against the Bulgarian side, Zaniolo came off the bench and changed the complexion of the match by winning two penalties that were converted by Lorenzo Pellegrini and scoring the final goal.

With his current contract set to expire in the summer of 2024, Zaniolo has the motivation to maintain his fine form. Chelsea, Tottenham, and Arsenal are reportedly interested in him, so if he keeps this up and avoids injuries, he’ll be earning his big bucks soon – whether in London or in Rome.

Lazio not the same sans their talisman

Mattia Zaccagni, Pedro, and Felipe Anderson have doing all they can to lead Lazio’s attack, but it’s clear that they aren’t as dangerous in the final third without Ciro Immobile.

Ciro Immobile suffered a thigh injury in a scoreless draw with Udinese a few weeks ago, and the Biancocelesti captain was given the diagnosis that he won’t play at least for a month. Lazio are on a two-game losing streak because of this.

I Biancocelesti would also have to cope without Sergej Milinkovic-Savic this Sunday due to accumulation of yellow cards. The inspirational midfielder is the team’s second-leading scorer with five goals and seven assists.

Luis Alberto appears to be the x-factor for Lazio in this derby. The Spaniard was rested against Feyenoord, so he’ll have fresh legs this weekend. He has four goals and two assists this season.

Youngsters Luka Romero, Matteo Cancellieri, Toma Basic, and Marcos Antonio will all get more runs in these next few weeks, which might be a blessing in disguise since it would hasten their development.

History

AS Roma have lost only twice in their last 24 Serie A home games against Lazio (W14, D8), with their most recent loss being a 3-1 defeat back in April 2017. Since then, I Giallorossi have won four of their last five home games against I Biancocelesti (D1).

They could also tally two straight clean sheets against Lazio in Serie A for the first time since 2013/14. AS Roma won their previous meeting in March as Tammy Abraham (twice) and Lorenzo Pellegrini’s goals helped them get a 3-0 victory.

Lazio beat AS Roma in their first league meeting last season, 3-2, as Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Pedro, and Felipe Anderson netted for I Biancocelesti, while Roger Ibanez and Jordan Veretout scored for I Giallorossi.

Betting Tip

Because there’s so much on the line, we expect this to be a hotly-contested affair and the SBOTOP Serie A 2022 odds concur. Since they’re playing at home, AS Roma were given the slight advantage at 2.03, while Lazio are priced at 3.50 to win according to the 1X2 market.

But this one is certainly tough to call, so we’re inclined to recommend Draw 1X2 @ 3.45, where both sides are take home a point apiece. Despite missing key players, AS Roma and Lazio have enough quality to generate Serie A 2022 highlights, so going for either Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.91 or Over 2.50 @ 1.88 can also get you a decent payout.

 

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