Spalletti: We must pick our moments if we are to win the derby

Spalletti believes his side have the quality to win the contest but knows they will not have things their own way for the entire 90 minutes at the Stadio Olimpico - and has told his players that they will need to manage the game professionally if they are to be triumphant.

Roma enter the game just one point above their rivals, in second and fourth in the table respectively.

“I see the derby as a special game that you have to win the same way as any normal game," Spalletti said in his pre-match press conference. "It's important for two sets of standings: the Serie A table and the all-time head-to-head record between these two teams.

“It's crucial that we read the various stages of the game because you can't have it your own way for the whole 90 minutes. We must pick the right moment to win the match. We have to play like Roma whatever the game situation we find ourselves in."

The coach knows how much the game means to the fans, and does not believe the players need any further motivation.

He added: “We feel the Roman spirit every day, regardless of whether the fans come to the stadium.

"For us, the players and everyone who works here, it's a way of life, the way you greet people, the way you look at people, the way you meet and train. We feel it all week long so we don't need any further input.

"It's like a second skin – near or far, you feel it all the same. As I said last year, the fans' hearts beat just as loudly even when they're not in the stadium.”