Turin-Lazio. The double former Marchegiani: “Zapata and Immobile decide”

One Italian Cup and one Mitropa Cup with Torino, seven trophies with Lazio (one Scudetto, one Cup Winners’ Cup, one European Super Cup, two Italian Cups and two Italian Super Cups). Luca Marchegiani, as a player, was a pillar first of the Granata team (with which he played for five years) and then of Lazio (where he remained for ten seasons). Tonight at the Grande Torino a Toro-Lazio match will be played (replay of the 21st round) which is a sort of play-off in the race for a place in a European cup, a race in which both teams are registered. Marchegiani, now a columnist and commentator for Sky, thus anticipates the themes of this evening’s match.

Marchegians, what type of match will it be?

“Interesting match between two teams who, despite some ups and downs, are still having a good season. I expect a closed match, Torino will try to exploit their greater aggressiveness, their more intense pace, Lazio will try to escape the grenade’s grip with the dribble. I repeat, I think it will be a blocked match, but it is clear that a single episode can radically change the script right from the first minutes.”

Toro and Lazio are both racing for Europe. Can they do it?

“I think so, they can certainly have their say until the end. The problem is that this year there is a lot of competition. There are ten teams competing for seven places, although there could be one more. Turin and Lazio must still believe in it. Juric’s team is having a quality season and that wasn’t a given. He had some missteps when he could have definitely taken off, but he remained there and can legitimately aspire to a place in a European cup. And in my opinion it still has considerable room for improvement. Lazio have had a fluctuating performance. He is doing very well in the cups, but in the championship he has lost too many points. He paid for the departure of Milinkovic who is a difficult player to replace and the new players struggled to fit in. But in my opinion he must continue to believe in the Champions League objective, even if the gap from Atalanta and Bologna is starting to become heavy.”

Who are the men who can decide the challenge?

“Well, it’s inevitable to think about the two central attackers, Zapata and Immobile. Because they are not just finishers, who are excellent, but they represent an essential point of reference for their teams.”

It’s not just them, though.

“Certainly. Del Toro especially likes the young Italians who are doing very well. I’m thinking of Bellanova, Ricci and Buongiorno, even if the latter is now out. Even in Lazio there are young elements that are emerging. I was struck by Gila’s great growth, who has become a very reliable defender, and also by Isaksen’s notable progress.”

What is the thing you appreciate most about the two teams at the moment?

“The defensive phase for Torino, who not surprisingly finished 12 games without conceding a goal. Credit goes to Juric who managed to give great solidity to his men. While for Lazio the thing I like most is the tactical organisation. Sarri’s is a team that never loses its character even on difficult days.”

Speaking of defenses. As a former player, how do you evaluate the performance of the two goalkeepers? Lazio’s player, Provedel, is also recovering from a costly mistake in the match against Bologna.

“I don’t think he will be affected by it. Those types of injuries can happen to any goalie. In my time there was no construction from the bottom, but we too often ended up in trouble for some reason, because if a goalkeeper makes a mistake then there is no way to fix it. Furthermore, since he arrived at Lazio, Provedel has made an incredible leap in quality. For me today he is one of the best Italian goalkeepers if not the best ever. Milinkovic has also grown a lot, however. He makes great use of his physical characteristics and has acquired greater tranquility which he manages to convey to the team.”