Lazio host Atalanta at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday night in Serie A, both teams trying to get back to winning ways.
The Biancocelesti overcame Galatasaray recently, then tied 1-1 away to Spart Praga on Thursday in the Europa League, but have not won in the last three Serie A games, collecting just two points, and have won just once in their last seven league games.
La Dea is in an even more difficult situation, as they haven’t won since the December 6 – 11 consecutive games – piling together the misery of six points and slowly getting closer to the drop zone, now just four points away.
Both teams are desperate for a win then, and at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia back in October it ended with the home side winning 2-1 thanks to an Alejandro Gomez winner. The last time the two clubs faced each other in Rome it was the Biancocelesti who easily won: 3-0 in December 2014.
Stefano Pioli would be delighted to replicate the result, but will not be able to count on Dusan Basta, Abdoulay Konko and Stefan Radu, all out with minor injuries, as well as Stefan De Vrij, who will be out for the rest of the season. Pioli still has some doubts, but will probably deploy those who did not start in the Europa League especially up front, with Filip Djordjevic, Felipe Anderson and Stefano Mauri ready to lead the attack.
Edoardo Reja on the other hand had the whole week to prepare this vital game and will have his best eleven, apart from Alejandro Gomez who is still injured and is a big loss for the Nerazzurri. The coach said at the moment Atalanta are simply “struggling to score” and is therefore likely to make changes up front compare to the team that lost to Juventus. Alessandro Diamanti is likely to start, as well as Mauricio Pinilla who will replace Marco Borriello.
Recent form: Lazio (D-W-D-L-D) Atalanta (D-D-L-D-L)
Expected starting XIs
Lazio (4-3-3): Marchetti; Braafheid, Mauricio, Hoedt, Lulic; Milinkovic-Savic, Biglia, Cataldi; Felipe Anderson, Djordjevic, Mauri.
Atalanta (4-3-3): Sportiello; Masiello, Toloi, Paletta, Dramè; Kurtic, De Roon, Cigarini; Diamanti, Pinilla, D’Alessandro.
