-
Teams drew 0-0 in November
-
Lazio on great form
-
Mancini foul key to Bet Builder
Lazio v Roma
Wednesday 10 January, 17:00
Live on Viaplay Sports 1
Our Coppa was empty in Italy last night, as Fiorentina played out a goalless draw with Bologna in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals before squeezing through on penalties. We'll stay in Italy with the same competition, because there's a fascinating Rome derby to enjoy at the Stadio Olimpico, as Maurizio Sarri's Lazio face Jose Mourinho's Roma.
It's been a mixed season for both capital clubs. Both have made progress in Europe - Lazio in the Champions League and Roma in the Europa League - but both are off the pace in the league. Lazio are three points adrift of fourth-placed Fiorentina, with Roma a point and a place below their old foes.
Both teams have had to absorb the loss of key players. Lazio saw talismanic midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic move to Saudi Arabia, while Roma's star striker Tammy Abraham has been sidelined by serious injury.
Lazio are in good form though. They have collected 23 points from their last 12 league matches, they have won their last three games in Serie A, and they have won eight of their last ten competitive matches at the Stadio Olimpico. They haven't lost a derby against Roma since March 2022, and they have lost just one of the clubs' last five head-to-heads.
These teams played out a goalless draw in the league in November, and I don't expect many goals here with so much at stake. I'll use the Sportsbook's Bet Builder to back Lazio/Draw, Under 3.5 Goals and Gianluca Mancini to commit at least one foul at 2.0421/20. Mancini averages 1.6 fouls per game in Serie A, and he was booked against Lazio back in November.