Roma vs Lazio

Stadio Olimpico forms the backdrop for the latest edition of the famous Derby della Capitale between eternal Serie A rivals Roma and Lazio.

Roma dropped the curtain on a turbulent 2024 with a spirited 1-1 draw at AC Milan, though it was only enough for a sub-par 10th-place at the end of the calendar year. Roma’s significant problems with inconsistent performances have seen their last five league matches fluctuate between different outcomes (W2, D1, L2), leaving them 15 points behind Lazio before the kick-off. To put Roma’s struggles in perspective, they lament a mediocre win ratio of only 28% midway through the campaign (W5, D5, L8). Claudio Ranieri’s men have blown hot and cold at this stadium, winning just over 50% of their home league fixtures this term (W5, L4). Considering each of those four defeats saw them concede the opening goal, Lazio’s potential opener could be the detriment of Roma’s hopes to beat their arch-rivals in back-to-back league meetings for the first time since 2016.

On the other hand, Lazio conceded a heart-wrenching late equalizer in a 1-1 home draw against Atalanta in their final match of 2024, completing a see-saw three-game league form (W1, D1, L1). Despite losing 6-0 to Inter Milan in mid-December, Marco Baroni’s men are still relevant in the title conversation. However, a six-point deficit on ‘La Dea’ pre-round leaves a little margin for error. Though they’re only nominal visitors in this encounter, ‘I Biancocelesti’ can draw inspiration from their impressive ‘road’ form, having won six of their last seven matches away from home. As a result, Baroni is seemingly well-positioned to improve his embarrassing managerial record against Roma (W1, D1, L5). But it’s worth mentioning that his men have failed to score in two of their last three H2Hs against ‘I Giallorossi’ (W1, D1, L1).