Lazio vs AS Roma preview - All to play for in Rome derby - 7M sport

Lazio vs AS Roma preview - All to play for in Rome derby



Posted Sunday, May 24, 2015 by PA

Lazio and Roma square off for the second time in Serie A this season at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday afternoon, with plenty at stake for both teams.

The Biancoceleste head into their penultimate game of the campaign needing a point to assure themselves of at least a third-placed finish and a spot in the 2015/16 qualifying campaign for the Champions League.

Should Lazio win, they would leapfrog Roma into second place and be two points clear of their city rivals heading into the final round.

A loss, however, would set up a tense last weekend for Lazio because they would then need to avoid falling to defeat at fourth-placed Napoli to maintain third spot.

Napoli, who crashed to a 3-1 defeat at Juventus on Saturday to remain three points behind Lazio, would win a head-to-head tie-breaker with Lazio if the sides were to end the season level on points.

The defeat by Napoli at Juve, meanwhile, assured Roma of at least a third-placed finish.

Roma coach Rudi Garcia and his players desperately want to beat Lazio, though, to clinch second place and avoid having to go through the qualification for Europe's elite club competition next season.

If the clubs draw on Monday, Roma would remain in second place but need to win their last game at home to Palermo to be assured of a runners-up finish.

"Against Lazio we can seal automatic qualification for the Champions League," Garcia said on his club's official website. "We can win or draw against the Biancoceleste but we are not going to play for a point.

"It's a derby and we want to win it."

Last weekend's 2-1 triumph over Udinese was Roma's third victory in their last four league games.

"My players showed against Udinese that they can deliver when they are up against it," Garcia said. "We had cool heads, played as a team and kept a high tempo.

"All great teams need those qualities."

A defeat for Lazio would add to a hugely disappointing week for the club after the Biancoceleste fell to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final on Thursday.

Alessandro Matri scored an extra-time winner to hand Juventus the cup.

"Finals are there to be won and it hurts to lose one," Lazio coach Stefano Pioli said. "Our Coppa adventure has ended but we are still alive in Serie A.

"I've told my players to move on and to think of Monday's game.

"We deserve to play in the Champions League but we have to earn it on the pitch."

The derby was supposed to be played on Sunday but Lazio requested that it be delayed a day so they would have time to recover from their Coppa exertions.



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