Lazio will kick off their proceedings after the international break on Sunday, with Luca Gotti’s Spezia visiting Rome to lock horns with Maurizio Sarri’s men at Stadio Olimpico.
In the previous matchday, Lazio ran havoc against Cremonese. A 4-0 victory, backed by a lengthy break due to international duties, should be enough for the hosts to charge the batteries and get on the field for another rampage against Spezia.
But it might not be as easy as it sounds. International breaks are known as a double-edged sword. As a spectator, you never know what you will get from a particular team. Bearing that in mind, Spezia will be hoping to master a miracle, even though they have won only one of their last five games.
Last five results in all competitions:
Lazio: L-W-W-L-W
Spezia: D-L-D-L-W
Team News
Daniele Verde has reportedly rejoined the group. Viktor Kovalenko should be out with the lack of match fitness. Among the absentees for the visitors, there are Kelvin Amian, Jacopo Sala, Petko Hristov, and Arkadiusz Reca.
There were concerns around the fitness of Ciro Immobile within the Lazio camp after he had to withdraw from the Italy squad due to an injury. Manuel Lazzari should be back in contention to start the match against Spezia. Sarri doesn’t have massive worries about the team’s fitness, but Danilo Cataldi finished his mid-week training session early. He could be a doubt for Sunday’s league fixture.
Predicted XIs
Lazio (4-3-3): Provedel; Lazzari, Patric, Romagnoli, Marusic; Milinkovic, Cataldi, Luis Alberto; Felipe Anderson, Immobile, Zaccagni.
Spezia (3-5-2): Dragowski; Ampadu, Kiwior, Nikolaou; Holm, Ellertsson, Bourabia, Agudelo, Bastoni; Gyasi, Nzola.
Sarri’s side has lacked consistency in the 2022/23 season. And thus, they have not yet managed to push for the top three positions in the league. Spezia salvaged a narrow 2-1 win over Sampdoria. Would that be the start of something promising for the Bianchi? Only time will tell.
GIFN | Jyotirmoy Halder
