Lazio welcome Galatasaray to the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday evening in a Round of 32 second-leg Europa League tie.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic netted a vital away goal for the Aquile in the first-leg in Istanbul last week and Stefano Pioli will be keen to preserve his side’s advantage as he welcomes a flailing Galatasaray side.
The Turkish outfit are mired in financial trouble and are currently 14 points adrift of table-toppers Besiktas in the Turkish Super Lig.
Mustafa Denizli’s side were forced to rely upon an 89th minute winning spot-kick to down Trabzonspor at the weekend after the away side were reduced to seven men for a series of infringements in a controversial encounter.
Former Roma coach Rudi Garcia, who was relieved of his duties in the Italian capital in January, has been sounded out as a replacement.
Lazio, meanwhile, showed symptoms of a hangover in their visit to 18th-placed Frosinone at the weekend.
Pioli’s side have lost just once since the turn of the year but the Biancocelesti have contrived to draw five of their last nine outings since Serie A resumed on January 6 after the winter hiatus.
Lazio have yet to drop a single point at home in the Europa League this term and emerged from the Group Stage unbeaten after they exited the Champions League at the qualifying stages.
Encouragingly, the Aquile have never lost to Turkish opposition on Italian soil and the spoils were shared the last time these two sides met in the 2001-02 Champions League Group Stage.
There are no fresh injury concerns for Pioli to be perturbed by, though the defensive stalwart Stefan de Vrij remains sidelined for the foreseeable future and is accompanied by Dusan Basta and Santiago Gentiletti in the treatment room.
Sabri Salioglu, who levelled for the Turkish side in the first-leg, is expected to retain his place while Wesley Sneijder was rested on Sunday with the trip across the continent in mind.
Form Guide: Lazio (L-D-W-D-D) Galatasaray (D-W-L-D-W)
Expected Starting XIs
Lazio: Marchetti; Konko, Bisevac, Hoedt, Radu; Biglia, Cataldi, Milinkovic-Savic; Candreva, Matri, Mauri.
Galatasaray: Muslera; Sarioglu, Guenter, Balta, Carole; Donk, Chedjou; Podolski, Sneijder, Inan; Bulut.
Infographic courtesy of Sporticos.com.
