Lazio host Udinese in the Coppa Italia on Thursday night with both sides looking for a boost after disappointing starts to their respective Serie A campaigns.
The Aquile’s start has been bitterly disappointing compared to their exploits in the previous season, meaning coach Stefano Pioli will go into this game with his position hanging by a thread. Meanwhile, the Zebrette have also endured a period of toil in Serie A, with the knockout competition providing a fleeting ray of hope after their domestic demolition by Inter last Saturday.
Having featured in the Europa League, this stage marks Lazio’s entrance in to the competition, but Udinese have obtained victory in two rounds to get to this point, beating Novara and Atalanta en route – both by a 3-1 scoreline, and both at the Stadio Friuli.
The Biancocelesti will have happy memories of this competition having won it as recently as 2013 and reaching the last four last year. Udinese on the other hand have never won the Coppa Italia, coming close in 2014, when Fiorentina eliminated them in the semi-finals, which had been the sixth time they had reached that stage of the tournament. However, only one of those six contests were successful, which was as long ago as 1922.
This will mark the fourth meeting between the two in the Coppa Italia, and the 77th overall, with Lazio holding the edge in both measures. In their only previous knockout clash at the Stadio Olimpico, back in 2001, late goals from Dejan Stankovic and Pavel Nedved earned the hosts a 2-1 win.
Both coaches may well opt to shuffle the pack for this encounter ahead of trips to Inter and Torino respectively, but both also have a number of injuries to contend with. Lazio’s Senad Lulic looks set for a long-term absence with his mutilated finger and Stefan de Vrij is not yet fit. Meanwhile, Federico Marchetti’s hamstring, strained celebrating Alessandro Matri’s goal against Sampdoria, will likely keep him out.
Stefano Colantuono will be unable to call upon Duvan Zapata or Alexander Merkel for the clash, though Frenchman Thomas Heurtaux may make a return to the starting line-up.
Form Guide (All Competitions)
Lazio (W-L-L-D-D), Udinese (W-W-W-L-L)
Expected Starting XIs
Lazio: Berisha; Mauricio, Gentiletti, Konko, Basta; Parolo, Biglia, Milinkovic-Savic; Anderson, Klose, Candreva.
Udinese: Meret; Pasquale, Domizzi, Piris, Ali Adnan; Insua, Marquinho, Bruno Fernandes; Pontisso, Di Natale, Perica
https://sporticos.com/en-gb/2015-12-17/117475-match-lazio-roma-vs-udinese-calcio
