Lazio vs Roma
2016/17 Italian Serie A.
Date: Sunday, 4 December 2016
Kick-Off: 14:00 UK,
Venue: Stadio Olimpico (Rome).
Lazio is on a roll as of late with nine straight unbeaten performances to climb to the fourth spot of the league table. They are tied on points with fifth-place team Atalanta but has a superior goal difference.
The White and Blues are coming off a close 1-0 win over cellar-dwellers Palermo on the road at the Renzo Barbera Stadium last Sunday, as per SkySports.
Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic netted what proved to be the winning goal in the 31st minute for head coach Simone Inzaghi's squad, with the assist coming from his teammate and compatriot Dusan Basta.
Palermo tried to find the equalizer in the second half, but Lazio's defense held on. Giancarlo Gonzalez's red card in the 86th minute did not help the hosts' comeback attempt as Le Aquile escaped with the victory.
Meanwhile, Roma has kept its second place spot in the overall standings with five unbeaten games in their last six matches. The team is four points behind league leaders Juventus and tied on points with third-place squad AC Milan, but has a higher goal difference as well.
Lazio vs Roma: Head-to-head statistics
Lazio has a record of W4-D4-L12 in their past 20 home games against teams ranked above them in the table.
Roma has a record of W11-D7-L2 in their past 20 away games against teams ranked below them in the table.
The Giallorossi are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with Lazio (W4, D3).
They haven’t gone eight sans defeat since April 2004.
The Lupi have won their past three derbies against the Aquile.
They have not made it four in a row since March 2011.
Since the 1994/1995 season there have been a whopping 30 red cards distributed in this derby (18 for Lazio, 12 for Roma) – which is more than any other Serie A fixture.
Lazio have scored at least two goals in five out of their last six home games.
Roma have scored at least two goals in their last four matches against Lazio across all comps.
The Biancocelesti have seen over 2.5 goals in eight out of their last 10 meetings with the Giallorossi (across all comps).
Lazio vs Roma: Prediction
Amazingly, Simone Inzaghi nearly didn’t get this job on a permanent basis. Despite taking over from Stefano Pioli last term, he was overlooked in favor of Marcelo Bielsa. However when the Argentinian tactician went AWOL, Inzaghi was brought back in. And the ex-striker has done very well with the Aquile so far. Of the two sides, Lazio appear to be the stronger, as Roma are also dealing with some injuries both in attack and defense. However, the Giallorossi have a stronger record in this fixture, and Lazio haven’t won this fixture since May 26, 2013.
Given that both teams have been involved in high-scoring meetings in the past, expect goals in this one.
Lazio vs Roma: Betting tips
Both teams to score – YES at 8/15 (1.53)
Over 2.5 goals at 13/20 (1.65)
Double chance – Lazio to WIN or DRAW at 4/7 (1.57).
