Football
James Horncastle, Italy writer 6y

Spicy Derby della Capitale as Roma and Lazio become Serie A contenders

Eusebio Di Francesco and Simone Inzaghi know what the Derby della Capitale is all about. They experienced it as players, one for Roma, the other for Lazio, at a time when the rivalry was at its fiercest and most competitive. The pair of them won the Scudetto, driven by the desire to out-do one another. When Lazio won the title in 2000, Roma's determination to become champions of Italy went up a notch. A year later, they were stitching the tricolor on their shirts.

Fast forward to the present and you get the feeling Roma and Lazio aspire to the same objectives this season. Both are in the thick of a crowded title race and have a game in hand on the other contenders who, with the exception of Juventus, all dropped points last time around.

Enchanted by the business the Milanesi were doing in the summer, particularly over at Milan, few of Italy's sports dailies expressed great confidence in the teams of the Eternal City. For the most part, the local media expected Roma to fade away and be drawn into a battle for a Champions League spot. Lazio, on the other hand, were predicted to finish in "ninth or 10th," according to Inzaghi. No one went that far. Rather, Inzaghi's point was that his team had been practically forgotten about. The scepticism is explained as follows. Roma is Di Francesco's first big job. And they lost key players Wojciech Szczesny, Antonio Rudiger and Mohamed Salah in the summer.

In Lazio's case, they have tended to alternate one good year with a bad one under owner Claudio Lotito. Inzaghi already had them punching above their weight last season. Surely they couldn't do as well without captain Lucas Biglia and Keita Balde Diao?

Au contraire.

Di Francesco has exceeded expectations and Inzaghi just keeps surprising. Roma [+1] and Lazio [+6] are better off than they were at this stage a year ago. Bettering his predecessor, Luciano Spalletti, looked a tall order for Di Francesco. Statistically speaking, last season was Roma's best ever. His only chance of improving on it seemed to be to achieve what Spalletti couldn't and actually win something. Four months into the job he has turned scepticism into belief, persuading press and fans that he's for real.

Defining what constitutes a successful season naturally feeds into the rivalry with their city neighbours as well. Roma have finished above Lazio for the last five years by an average of 15 points. But where Inzaghi has the edge is he has lifted a trophy. Lazio got revenge for their defeat in the Coppa Italia final by beating Juventus in the Super Cup in August. And while you may scoff that it's the least prestigious piece of silverware, Lazio have been to the cup final three times since Roma came under American ownership.

The 2012 final, when a Senad Lulic goal broke Roma hearts, is part of derby folklore. Not least because it stopped Lazio's "cousins" becoming the first team to win the Coppa Italia 10 times. In April, they prevailed again, eliminating Roma in the semifinals. Winning the Super Cup, Inzaghi claims, helped make this group of Lazio players believe they could do something special this season. Beating Juventus was no fluke. They did it again in October, winning in Turin for the first time since Inzaghi was a player. It was two years since a visiting side came away from the Allianz Stadium with maximum points.

For Di Francesco, Roma's performances against Premier League champions Chelsea felt like a transformative moment in his short time at the club. The first game at Stamford Bridge was the Giallorossi's best display on the road in Europe since the trips to Real Madrid and Lyon a decade ago. The second game, a 3-0 win at the Olimpico, Roma's biggest against English opposition since 1983, provided confirmation of their progress. Di Francesco has made this team his own in a short space of time.

It's fair to say both managers have made quite the impression in Europe. Roma are top of their Champions League group. Lazio have won every game in the Europa League, qualifying for the knockouts with two games to spare, which allows them to focus on Serie A.

The two managers have managed their resources with wisdom beyond their years. Credit should go to both sporting directors, Monchi and Igli Tare, for adding squad depth in the summer. But it's a measure of how good these guys are on the training ground that they make four or six changes a game and the team doesn't skip a beat. They pick up where they left off and keep winning.

When rotation is successful it has a multiplier effect. Roma centre-back Kostas Manolas touched upon this after Roma's win in Florence before the international break, a record 12th in a row on the road. No one feels left out. Everybody is involved. The spirit within the team is amazing.

It also must be said Di Francesco and Inzaghi have shown a remarkable talent for finding money down the back of the sofa. Players you'd forgotten about, like Gerson and Luis Alberto, have become major difference-makers this season. Alberto even earned a call up to the Spain squad and is regarded as the revelation of the campaign in Serie A.

Other testimonials of their coaching are not lacking. Last season we saw Inzaghi restore Ciro Immobile to his Capocannoniere best after a couple of years in the wilderness at Dortmund and Sevilla. This season Di Francesco is working similar wonders with Stephan El Shaarawy. There are signs of him delivering on a consistent basis and fulfilling the potential he showed when he broke into the first team at Milan all those years ago.

Roma and Lazio still have considerable upside too. The Wolves are yet to see record signing Patrik Schick's integration into the side. Emerson Palmieri is back and it's a shame Rick Karsdorp joined the long list of anterior cruciate ligament casualties at the club. As for the Eagles, Nani is gradually being introduced while Felipe Anderson is also on the comeback trail after missing the start of the season. Roma and Lazio have other gears to go to, which should foster confidence in their ability to push Juventus, Napoli and Inter all the way. After all, both Di Francesco and Inzaghi have already had to cope with sizeable injury pile-ups.

Saturday's game promises to be a classic. Roma have the league's best defence and a goalkeeper in Alisson who radiates calm. But if they've have conceded half as many goals as Juventus this season it's a team effort, and owes a lot to the most aggressive and coordinated pressing game in the league. Lazio, meanwhile, have made their best start ever. Better than Tommaso Maestrelli and Sven-Goran Eriksson's title-winning sides. They're on a nine-game winning streak in all competitions and want to make it a perfect 10 in the derby.

The battle between two of the most coveted midfielders in the world, Radja Nainggolan and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, is mouthwatering. Milinkovic-Savic and Immobile have been lethal in recent derbies and will be the focus of Di Francesco's opposition analysis. Immobile tops the scoring charts in Serie A but faces a race against time to be fit. As for Edin Dzeko, Serie A's reigning Capocannoniere reminded us why he is on the Ballon d'Or shortlist with that goal of the season contender in the 3-3 draw at Chelsea.

It'll be an interesting afternoon for Aleksandar Kolarov too. The full-back was a Lazio player for three years but on Saturday he'll be in Roma's colours and rates as the bargain signing of the season so far in Serie A.

A pivotal weekend in the title race awaits us, with Napoli playing Milan and Juventus going to Sampdoria. Be sure not to miss it.

^ Back to Top ^