The Laziali
·28 December 2024
The Laziali
·28 December 2024
Lazio will be hoping to bid the year farewell by ending the 11-match winning streak of Serie A leaders Atalanta.
The clash will take place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, and it kicks off on Saturday, 20:45 CET.
Manuel Lazzari has joined the injury list which also includes Pedro and Tijjani Noslin, but the only long-term absentee remains Matias Vecino who will likely return in February. But despite the lack of midfield options, Marco Baroni is seemingly keen on fielding three players in the middle of the park where the main battle will unfold, thus adding Fisayo Dele-Bashiru to the lineup.
The Nigerian will thus join Nicolo Rovella and Matteo Guendouzi in midfield, but could also push forward and play behind Taty Castellanos. On the wings, Loum Tchaouna is the favorite to start ahead of Gustav Isaksen, while Mattia Zaccagni will maintain his role on the left. Adam Marusic, Mario Gila, Alessio Romagnoli and Nuno Tavares will constitute the backline in front of Ivan Provedel.
Lazio (4-3-3): Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares; Guendouzi, Rovella, Dele-Bashiru; Tchaouna, Castellanos, Zaccagni.
Similar to Baroni, Gian Piero Gasperini is also expected to add an extra midfielder in the shape of Mario Pasalic, especially after losing his top striker Mateo Retegui to injury. Therefore, the Croatian will start behind Ademola Lookman and the in-form Charles De Ketelaere, while Marten De Roon and Ederson form up the double pivot as usual.
Matteo Ruggeri will miss the contest with a slight knock, so the experienced Davide Zappacosta should play on the left with Raoul Bellanova on the opposite flank. Odilon Koussounou is the favorite to join Isak Hien and Sead Kolasinac in the back three, while the scintillating Marco Carneshecchi maintains his spot in goal.
Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Carnesecchi; Kossounou, Hien, Kolasinac; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; Pasalic; De Ketelaere, Lookman