Lazio has risen through the ranks and into the top three in Serie A thanks to five victories in six games. They hope to continue this form on Sunday when Salernitana visits the Stadio Olimpico.
The Biancocelesti are almost guaranteed a spot in the Europa League knockout rounds with a win this week as well, while their opponents sit in the middle of the table following last week’s victory over Spezia.
Lazio have quickly resumed their incredible form of the previous month after being held to a home draw by Udinese a fortnight ago. Over the past few days, Maurizio Sarri’s team has ended Atalanta’s unbeaten streak and earned a significant victory in Europe.
Lazio overcame Ciro Immobile’s injury-related absence in Bergamo with goals from Mattia Zaccagni and Felipe Anderson early in each half, moving them ahead of La Dea and into third place.
After Thursday’s events at Stadio Olimpico, the Roman team has now won five of its last six league games without giving up a goal. In addition, they are unbeaten in eight games overall, scoring 18 goals while doing so.
Lazio now has the best ongoing streak of shutouts among the top five European leagues after being previously undermined by defensive flaws under both Sarri and predecessor Simone Inzaghi. In addition, they are just one game away from matching the club’s record of seven straight wins, set in the heyday of 1998, when Sven-Goran Eriksson was in charge.
The Biancocelesti have only faced 12 shots on goal during that time, and their tenacity has allowed them to match the team’s second-best start to a Serie A season after 11 league matches.
Only Napoli has lost fewer games since May thanks to Sarri-ball, and their last 15 league games have featured nine victories, five ties, and one loss.
The situation is slightly more complicated in Europe, though, as Lazio will play Feyenoord in the championship match in Rotterdam the following week. On Thursday, Lazio defeated Midtjylland 2-1 to avenge their 5-1 Danish defeat thanks to goals from Pedro and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Second place would mean a tie against one of the teams relegating from the Champions League, while placing third results in a playoff for the Europa Conference League. Both teams are tied with Feyenoord on eight points, three more than the other two clubs in Group F.
This weekend, form is undoubtedly on the hosts’ side, but history is also working against Salernitana on Sunday. The Campanian club has lost all three of its previous away Serie A contests with Lazio, giving up at least three goals in each contest.
Ciro Immobile, Pedro, and Luis Alberto scored in the 3-0 loss suffered by the struggling visitors in the two teams’ most recent meeting in Rome at the beginning of this year.
The Salernitana team, which includes former Lazio winger Antonio Candreva, now travels to the capital after winning two of their last three games, with a loss at Inter in between each victory.
After defeating Verona at home in Salerno, the Granata edged out Spezia on Saturday. On the day that Franck Ribery bid an emotional farewell to football, Pasquale Mazzocchi scored the game-winning goal just after halftime.
Salernitana has only scored three of its 13 points this season away from home, and they have lost their last two road games without scoring: It will be challenging for Davide Nicola’s team to improve on such a record on Sunday as they strive for mid-table security this season.
Lazio Team News
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, a midfielder for Lazio, has contributed to more goals this season in Europe’s top five leagues than anyone else aside from Kevin De Bruyne, having scored five goals and provided seven assists in all competitions.
His contributions have assisted in making up for the absence of captain and leading scorer Ciro Immobile, who might miss the remainder of Serie A due to a hamstring injury until the World Cup.
The hosts’ attacking trio should be made up of Mattia Zaccagni, Felipe Anderson, and Pedro, who has two goals and two assists in just 352 minutes of action during an injury-plagued season.
The only other injury concern for the Biancocelesti is Brazilian defender Patric, who could move into the back four ahead of a crucial week in which they play Feyenoord and compete in the Derby della Capitale. After serving a Europa League suspension, Manuel Lazzari is back.
Lazio possible starting lineup:
Provedel; Lazzari, Casale, Romagnoli, Marusic; Milinkovic-Savic, Cataldi, Alberto; Pedro, Anderson, Mattia Zaccagni
Salernitana Team News
Even though Salernitana will be without Giulio Maggiore, a regular in the middle of the field, again on Sunday, Davide Nicola has not received any new injury reports this week.
In Nicola’s 3-5-2 formation, Antonio Candreva is positioned on the right flank while Pasquale Mazzocchi is positioned on the left; among Serie A defenders, only Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo has produced more chances from open play this year.
Boulaye Dia should be accompanied up front by either Federico Bonazzoli or Krzysztof Piatek.
Salernitana possible starting lineup:
Sepe; Gyomber, Daniliuc, Fazio; Candreva, Coulibaly, Radovanovic, Vilhena, Mazzocchi; Boulaye Dia, Bonazzoli
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