Saturday Football Tips: Back a bookings double in the Rome derby

Roma v Lazio
Saturday, 19:45 kick-off
Live on Premier Sports 2 and Betfair Live Video

An exciting Serie A clash is our target for Saturday night with the 156th edition of the Derby della Capitale between Roma and Lazio taking centre stage.

Lazio have won eight out of their last 10 games to produce a flying late challenge for the top four Champions League places - it's unlikely but still within their grasp.

Roma are struggling to keep hold of seventh place and a place in the new Uefa Conference League next season, meaning Jose Mourinho could have no European football at all to work with when he takes over in the summer.

This battle for Eternal City bragging rights would be a fiesty one with nothing on the line, but with European implications for both then we should see another tasty renewal at the Stadio Olimpico.

Lazio won the first game 3-0 and are looking for a first league double over their city rivals in a decade, but Roma will be a team on a mission and desparate not to lose two in a row to their neighbours.

Goals would seem likely on the surface, with six of Roma's last eight having four goals or more in, while three of Lazio's last six have contained at least seven goals.

Coming down the stretch in a big derby game can often nullify the excitement and goal expectations though, but what it should heighten is the prospects for bookings - and plenty of them.

Seven of the last eight Rome derby games have seen six yellow cards at least, with the last contest cotaining nine bookings. Lazio edged it 5-4 in that respect even though they were comfortable winners!

Lucas Leiva was booked in that first game, and he's back for this game following a one-match suspension and just raring to go and get his name back in the referee's notebook.

The Brazilian has 10 bookings to his name this season and had three cards in his last four games. He gets what a derby game means to the team but that passion often boils over. He's a standout selection for a card at 2.89/5.

Roma defender Gianluca Mancini has missed two games through suspension recently, one in the Europa League as well as one in Serie A, and he'll have the likes of Ciro Immobile to deal with on Saturday night.

Mancini was booked in the first derby game after about half an hour and is priced up as one of the favourites to see yellow at 2.6313/8.

While I'd advise either to be taken in the booking stakes, it is Saturday night so we're rolling up our two yellow card candidates into a tasty 8.07/1 double.