Rome derby between Lazio and Roma

The teams are out, the atmosphere is crackling and we’re almost ready to go.

The eagle Olimpia has been soaring around the stadium. I wonder what Chris Smalling makes of it all. A tad different to Manchester.

I can’t wait.

One slight tweak to that Roma side I gave you earlier. Davide Zappacosta is out with Justin Kluivert coming in.

Apparently Zappacosta had a problem with his calf in the warm-up, so Alessandro Florenzi goes to right-back.

Laziowon the corresponding fixture 3-0 in March and started their Serie A campaign with an impressive 3-0 win at Sampdoria last week, with Ciro Immobile opening his account for the season with two goals.

Meanwhile both Edin Dzeko and Aleksandar Kolarov scored as Roma took the lead three times at home Genoa. However, a patchy defensive display enabled the visitors to claim a 3-3 draw.

Does that make Daniel Fonseca’s side the underdogs?

Who knows in a game like this….

Some familiar names in the starting XI’s for both sides today.

Ciro Immobile and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic both for start for Simone Inzaghi’sLazioside as does former Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva who has shaken off a knock.

Romaboss Daniel Fonseca hands on loan Chelsea full-back Davide Zappacosta is first start meaning that Federico Fazio and Gianluca Mancini are likely to play together in central defence.

New loan signing Chris Smalling , who joined Roma from Manchester United starts on the bench.

Hands-up if you can remember some of these chaps playing out this fierce rivalry…

Alessandro
Nesta, Juan Sebastian Veron, Giuseppe Signori, Roberto Mancini, Diego Fuser, Aldair, Thomas Hassler, Cafu, Francesco Totti and Vincenzo Montella.

Just need to add a keeper to that lot and you’d have a decent exhibition XI these days.

Welcome to our coverage of the Rome derby between Lazio and Roma.

This fixture has been filled with moments of magic, controversy and some stellar names down the years.

And this also promises to be an absolute cracker at the Stadio Olimpico.

Oh and yes that is an eagle pictured below…which is Lazio’s traditional club badge and symbol chosen by Luigi Bigiarelli.