This match is presented by New Balance.

LAZIO

League position: 5th
Head coach: Maurizio Sarri
Serie A top scorer: Ciro Immobile (7)

RECENT FORM

ROMA: W L W W W
LAZIO: D W W L L

Midweek victory over Ludogorets saw inaugural Europa Conference League winners Roma safely advance to this year’s knockouts of the Europa League.

It chalked up a third straight victory in all competitions for Jose Mourinho’s team, who go into the derby with a one point advantage over their neighbours.

Lazio, meanwhile, dropped down into the Conference League after a defeat against Feyenoord.

That made it two defeats in a row for the side, a run that started with a 3-1 dismantling at home to Salernitana last time out in the league, and the other team from Rome will be without captain Ciro Immobile and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic on Sunday.

Possible Lazio line-up

(4-3-3)

Provedel; Lazzari, Casale, Romagnoli, Marusic; Vecino, Cataldi, Alberto; Pedro, Anderson, Zaccagni

LAST MEETING

DANGER MAN
Mattia Zaccagni

With Immobile missing, Lazio are without a true focal point in attack.

It has meant that Felipe Anderson - the Brazilian far more accustomed to being deployed out wide - has led the line in recent weeks, but three goals in 18 appearances this term show that the 29-year-old is far from as talismanic as his captain.

In Immobile’s stead, Zaccagni has been Sarri’s go-to going forward, with the Italy international hitting his straps in recent weeks.

Zaccagni has four goals in his last five Serie A outings, while providing two assists in that time and will need attention on Sunday.

MATCH STATS

Roma have lost just two of their last 24 top-flight meetings as the nominal hosts against the blue team from the capital that they share a ground with (W14, D8, L2)

In fact, the Giallorossi have taken all three points in four of the five most recent matches between the two when Roma have walked out of the Stadio Olimpico’s home dressing room.

Just Monza (six) have had more Italian goalscorers in Serie A than Roma (five) so far this term.

Following last year’s 3-0 victory, Roma are searching for a second league shutout of Lazio for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

PLAYER STATS

• Tammy Abraham scored the first of his two goals in Roma’s 3-0 victory last season after just 56 seconds; making it the fastest ever goal in the Derby della Capitale.
  
• Cristian Volpato is the youngest player this season with at least one league goal and assist. At 18 years and 356 days old, he would become the second youngest ever goalscorer in the Rome derby if her were to score on Sunday.
  
• The absent Immobile has scored four goals in the Rome derby in Serie A, with only two players bagging more in the top flight.
  
• Since Sarri has been in charge of Lazio, Milinkovic-Savic has only missed one of 50 Serie A matches.

WHAT THEY SAID

"I think Lazio have now become the favorites to win the Conference League. I say this with honesty ... Lazio have the coach, the players, and the team to do it. Maybe the problem is that they have Mr. Tare who doesn’t want to win it because he doesn’t like this competition."

- Mourinho after Lazio dropped into the UECL