Lazio will take on Roma in the Rome derby on Sunday, 21 September, with both teams looking for a win that could ignite their seasons.
After three matches played, Roma hold a three-point lead over their bitter rivals, and another win for them on Sunday would mean Lazio will have lost three of their opening four matches of the season.
Lazio manager, Maurizio Sarri, who has only just returned to the club, could face some uncomfortable questions if his team do fall to another defeat here.
How the bookies view it: Too tight to call
The bookies aren't convinced of either of these two teams, and that has been reflected in the pricing. BoyleSports have made Roma the slight favourites at 6/4, while a win for Lazio has been priced at 9/5. The draw, which wouldn't be seen as a bad result for either club, has been priced at 2/1.
Head to head: Advantage Roma
Roma are unbeaten in their last three matches against Lazio, winning two and drawing one. The most recent Rome derby took place in April, and the two teams played out a 1-1 draw at the Olimpico. The last time Lazio managed to beat Roma was in January 2024, when they overcame their city rivals 1-0 in the Coppa Italia.
Players to watch: Can Ferguson make his mark?
Evan Ferguson is looking to reignite his young career at Roma after stagnating somewhat at Brighton. The Irish striker has bags of potential, and if Roma can bring that out of him, then it could be a very productive loan deal for both player and club.
Ferguson is yet to score in a Roma shirt, but if he can get himself on the scoresheet in the derby, then he will instantly earn plenty of goodwill with the club's supporters. While he's been blanking for Roma, he did produce the goods on the international break, scoring twice for Ireland in their victories over Armenia and Hungary.
Looking to keep Ferguson at bay on Sunday is Italy international Alessio Romagnoli. The 30-year-old has had a slow start to the season as he was serving a suspension from the back end of last season. However, he now has one game under his belt and will be looking forward to the challenge of facing Ferguson at the Stadio Olimpico.
Predicted line-ups
Nicolo Rovella, Matias Vecino and Valentin Castellanos are all in a race against time to be fit for Lazio, while Samuel Gigot and Manuel Lazzari are certain to miss out. Meanwhile, Roma are going to be without Leon Bailey and Paulo Dybala, and they could also be missing Mario Hermoso and Wesley.
Lazio: Provedel – Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares – Cataldi, Guendouzi, Dele-Bashiru – Cancellieri, Castellanos, Zaccagni
Roma: Svilar – Celik, Mancini, Ndicka – Rensch, Cristante, Kone, Angelino – Soule, El Shaarawy, Ferguson
Anything else catch the eye?
Matches between these two teams are nearly always cagey, low-scoring affairs, and we expect the same again here. Fewer than three goals have been scored in each of the last seven Rome derbies, and under 2.5 goals has been priced at 3/5 by BoyleSports.
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