Aquile fans have plenty to smile about thanks to the impressive run of form their high-flying side has been in.
Lazio defeated Napoli 1-0 in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final (2-1 on aggregate) to face Juventus in the Coppa Italia final on June 7, but that has not been the only reason to rejoice.
Stefano Pioli’s team has been in excellent form in the last two months, and Lazio have been the in-form squad in Italy with seven consecutive wins in Serie A.
What makes Lazio such an impressive side though?
Praise should be given to new coach Stefano Pioli, who has moulded a competitive team together consisting of new signings such as Stefan De Vrij, Dusan Basta and Marco Parolo alongside Lazio’s established names like Stefano Mauri, Antonio Candreva and Miroslav Klose.
The former Bologna coach has been able to rotate his squad comfortably regardless of any injuries or suspensions that he has had to deal with. Argentine defender Santiago Gentiletti has barely played this season and Serbian striker Filip Djordjevic has not played since January, both because of knee injuries.
In terms of playing style, Lazio are excellent in both the defensive and attacking phases of the game. The Aquile are compact off the ball and limit the space for the opposition. When they attack, they are able to spread themselves and they can attack down the middle or use the wings.
There is also a good spread of goalscorers available at Lazio with five players having scored seven goals or more so far this season, more than any other team in Europe’s major leagues.
Pioli has many key players in his team and the star of the moment has been Brazilian youngster Felipe Anderson. He has scored nine goals and created another seven in 23 Serie A games so far, including playing in six of Lazio’s last seven league wins and scoring four goals on top of assisting in another two.
Although Felipe Anderson has been a revelation this season, there is more to Lazio than the Brazilian sensation.
Goalkeeper Federico Marchetti has been fit and back in form. The protection afforded by the outstanding Dutch international Stefan De Vrij in front of Marchetti has also helped Marchetti’s regain in form. Former Udinese full-back Dusan Basta has been great on the right flank, especially with his attacking runs.
Parolo and Lucas Biglia have been influential in midfield whilst making changes to their natural game. Parolo has shown the ability to track back in addition to his scoring from midfield and Biglia has shown that he is more than a holding midfielder and shown he can advance forward to assist his attackers as well.
The captain Stefano Mauri is the jack-of-all-trades in the squad, feeling comfortable in midfield and in attack. His role can vary depending on the personnel available to Pioli on the day.
Up front Pioli has had issues but he has managed to find the right roles for the right people. The attacking trident usually consists of Candreva, Klose and Felipe Anderson, but Mauri and Keita Balde can also make useful contributions.
Pioli has managed to keep this team winning, even without relying on the likes of Luis Cavanda, Lorik Cana or Senad Lulic, who were regulars under previous Lazio coaches.
The fact that Lulic can still come off the bench score the winner against Napoli is an example of the Biancocelesti’s depth.
Lazio play Empoli next in Serie A on Sunday and if recent form is anything to go by, Rome’s eagles can keep on flying high.
Indeed it would take a brave man to bet against Lazio getting their eighth league win in a row.
