Pioli: Roma's confidence buoyed by results

“Lots of things have changed at Roma since Spalletti came in – above all psychologically because their confidence has been boosted by results,” the Lazio coach said at a news conference ahead of the game.

“We know what our opponents are about and we respect them but we're going out there to produce the best performance possible.”

Are Lazio ready to take on Roma?

“Yes, we are. I believe the players who play tomorrow will prove they're up to the task. We've got what it takes to perform well. Of course we'll have to work our socks off for each other, make sure we keep things tidy and play at pace.”

What does this derby mean to Lazio?

“We need to show our pride. This is an opportunity for us to demonstrate how good we are. The derby is a special game and winning it wouldn't make up for the season we've had but it would make it a little less disappointing.”

Roma go into it as favourites...

“Yes, but football is full of surprises. The derby is a game unto itself because it can level out any technical differences there might be. As I said, we respect Roma but we're determined to fight it out until the very end on Sunday.”