Winless in three league games for the first time this season, high-flying Lazio will visit Hellas Verona on Sunday evening.
The Biancocelesti were held to a home draw last time out, having gone down to 10 men against Como, while their hosts lost to Serie A leaders Napoli.
Match preview
© Imago
In their first match since a painful Derby della Capitale defeat to city rivals Roma, an absence-hit Lazio side took the lead through Boulaye Dia's opening goal last weekend, when they played host to lowly Como.
However, a first win of 2025 then slipped from their grasp, as Loum Tchaouna carelessly received two bookings within the space of a minute, before Patrick Cutrone headed home to make it 1-1 at Stadio Olimpico.
Lazio have now taken just two points from their last three home matches, seeing them slip out of the Scudetto race and into a multi-club scrap for European qualification.
Set to resume their current Europa League campaign next week, with a home game against Real Sociedad, the Biancocelesti are within a whisker of confirming a last-16 place - and they also have a Coppa Italia quarter-final to look forward to.
First, though, coach Marco Baroni must return to his former club, having guided Verona to safety last season, before being lured down to Rome.
Lazio will have history on their side, after losing only two of the clubs' last 18 league meetings, including a 2-1 victory in September's reverse fixture.
© Imago
Nonetheless, Verona are actually unbeaten in their last three Serie A games against Lazio at Stadio Bentegodi, where a hard-fought battle could commence this weekend.
The two teams with the highest number of cards this season will convene: a tally of 51 yellow cards and four reds for the visitors meets 47 yellows and six sendings-off for the hosts.
Furthermore, three of the four most ill-disciplined players in Italian football could feature: Lazio's Nicolo Rovella (nine bookings) and Taty Castellanos (six yellow cards, plus a red in the recent Rome derby) and Verona's Diego Coppola (seven yellows).
Paolo Zanetti's side failed to put up much of a fight last week, however, tamely losing 2-0 to Napoli at Stadio Maradona, where the Scaligeri have not won in 20 league games.
Seven points from their previous four outings had taken Hellas clear of the drop zone, but they remain deep in danger amid a jam-packed bottom half of the table.
Having failed to even score in four of their last six home matches - including recent clashes with AC Milan and Udinese - they will now hope to turn that trend around and pull off an upset on Sunday.
Team News
© Imago
Lazio captain Mattia Zaccagni's first 81 Serie A appearances were for Verona - between 2015 and 2021 - and he has since been involved in five goals in six league matches against them. However, the Italy winger has been absent from training and may not be ready to start.
Another ex-Hellas forward Tijjani Noslin is also a doubt, while Patric, Manuel Lazzari and Matias Vecino are all sidelined; Loum Tchaouna must serve a suspension.
Nonetheless, Marco Baroni can now call upon Pedro, who has returned from injury, while Mario Gila and top scorer Taty Castellanos are both back from bans.
Paolo Zanetti will welcome back Suat Serdar and Jackson Tchatchoua, after they were suspended for Verona's trip to Naples, and young defender Daniele Ghilardi should recover from the knock that ruled him out last week.
Once again, Martin Frese, Juan Cruz and Abdou Harroui are all unavailable due to injury.
Set to partner Amin Sarr up front, Casper Tengstedt tends to make the most of his sparse chances, having scored six Serie A goals from nine shots on target, also taking the fewest attempts (27) to reach that tally this season.
Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Dawidowicz, Coppola, Ghilardi; Tchatchoua, Duda, Serdar, Lazovic; Suslov; Sarr, Tengstedt
Lazio possible starting lineup:
Provedel; Marusic, Romagnoli, Gila, Tavares; Rovella, Guendouzi; Isaksen, Dia, Pedro; Castellanos
We say: Hellas Verona 0-2 Lazio
Verona concede an average of over two goals per game on home turf this term, so Lazio should score more than once and post their first win of the year.
Even if they initially struggle to break through, the Biancocelesti have scored most goals via substitutes in Serie A this season - an impressive tally of 10 so far.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
