Lazio vs Torino
Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Serie A clash between Lazio and Torino, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Two teams struggling to match expectations will meet at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, as Lazio welcome Torino to Rome.
Both sides are stuck inside the bottom half of the early Serie A standings, though the hosts did pick up three precious points on Monday.
Match previewAmid an injury and suspension crisis that had gutted their first-choice midfield, Lazio produced a first away win of the season when they visited Genoa earlier this week.
Matteo Cancellieri and Valentin Castellanos both struck before the break, and the final member of Maurizio Sarri’s attacking trident then made it 3-0 soon after the hour mark.
A tap-in from captain Mattia Zaccagni gave the Biancocelesti a lead they were never likely to lose, and victory took them up to 12th place with six points.
Previously, Lazio had suffered 1-0 defeats to newly promoted Sassuolo and then arch-rivals Roma in the Derby della Capitale, continuing a tough start to Sarri’s second spell at the Rome club.
Unable to add new players due to a transfer embargo, the ex-Napoli coach has seen his squad decimated by absences over the past couple of weeks, so he will hope to get one or two men back by Saturday.
Notwithstanding such issues, Lazio are unbeaten in four league games against Torino – with three wins and eight goals during that run – and they can target back-to-back wins this weekend.
When the clubs last met, in March, they played out a 1-1 draw at Stadio Olimpico, but points have been hard to come by for Torino since then.
After an underwhelming end to Paolo Vanoli’s reign, new boss Marco Baroni – who was sacked by Lazio for finishing seventh last term – has made a slow start in Turin.
On Monday evening, Toro lost 2-1 to fellow strugglers Parma, despite having much more of the ball; as a result, they sit 15th in the Serie A standings with four points on the board.
The Granata have registered just one league win so far, while conceding an average of two goals per game – though they did recently reach the last 16 of the Coppa Italia.
Furthermore, only four goals have been scored across seven matches this season, so Baroni’s main problem is quite clear.
The ex-Lazio boss now returns to the capital, where Torino unexpectedly beat Roma last month, in dire need of a morale-boosting win over his former employers.
Lazio Serie A form:
L W L L W
Torino Serie A form:
L D W L L
Torino form (all competitions):
L D W L W L
Team News
Still missing key men, Lazio must do without Matteo Guendouzi – who was sent off in the derby defeat to Roma – plus several injured players.
Sarri will again deal with the absence of midfielders Nicolo Rovella, Matias Vecino and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, while at least three defenders will also be sidelined.
Though Manuel Lazzari may yet be passed fit, Samuel Gigot, Adam Marusic and Luca Pellegrini are all unavailable for the embattled Biancocelesti.
The return of Reda Belahyane from a one-match ban at least bolsters the hosts’ engine room, and he can vie with Danilo Cataldi and Toma Basic for selection in midfield.
By contrast, Torino’s injury list is relatively short: only Tino Anjorin, Ardian Ismajli and long-term absentee Perr Schuurs are set to miss out.
Hit by fitness problems since signing in the summer, Ismajli was withdrawn with a thigh strain on Monday, so Adam Masina could be restored to the starting lineup.
Up front, Baroni must again choose between Che Adams and Giovanni Simeone to lead Toro’s misfiring attack, as veteran striker Duvan Zapata has yet to regain match-sharpness after a long layoff.
Lazio possible starting lineup:
Provedel; Hysaj, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares; Cataldi, Basic; Cancellieri, Dia, Zaccagni; Castellanos
Torino possible starting lineup:
Israel; Coco, Maripan, Masina; Lazaro, Casadei, Asllani, Biraghi; Ngonge, Vlasic; Simeone
We say: Lazio 1-0 TorinoHaving made light of their injury crisis to win by three goals on Monday, Lazio can collect maximum points again this weekend.
The hosts still have a potent front line available, which is something that cannot be said about Torino.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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