Lazio, Baroni and the derby with Roma: “One match but we will play it like the others”

The emotion of debuting in a derby, the awareness of getting there with a Lazio team that is now structured and capable of facing any battle. Marco Baroni, 48 hours after his first Roman derby, appears calm even if he does not hide the pitfalls of a match that is not like the others. “It’s like saying that Christmas is just any other day. It’s not. And so the derby cannot be and will never be a match like the others”, underlines the Lazio coach. Who then continues: “We live for this type of challenge. They are wonderful, there is all the passion of the city inside. Both the team and I must approach this match with all the joy that a match like this brings.” Unique match and different from all the others, but from a technical point of view Lazio will face it in the same way as the previous ones. “I don’t see why we should distort ourselves – says Baroni -. If we did we would lose something. We know very well the danger of the match, but we will play it with our characteristics.” Baroni then refuses the label of favourite. “Lazio has a 15-point lead over Roma, it’s true, but it’s a gap that has accumulated in recent months. In the last five games we have scored the same points and Roma have scored twice as many as us. If it had been played two months ago we would certainly have been favourites, but now it will be an absolutely balanced match, given the momentum of the two teams.”

the choices

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The coach is sure that his team will not disappoint, at least in terms of performance. “We can never get that one wrong. The players’ attitude will be the right one.” The training choices are practically made. It will be the same Lazio initially lined up against Atalanta with the only novelty of the presence of Isaksen in place of Tchaouna. However, it is confirmed for Dele-Bashiru that he will be preferred to Dia in the role of attacking midfielder. Two of the five injured players could go to the bench. During tomorrow’s finals there will in fact be a test for both Lazzari and Noslin at the end of which a decision will be made on the matter. Castrovilli is also in doubt, struggling with a flu attack. Nothing to do for Patric however (he returns in the next match against Como). Long times for Pedro and even more so for Vecino. And in fact Lazio has decided to temporarily put them out of the list for the championship and reinstate Hysaj and Basic in their places who will therefore go to the bench on Sunday evening. “They have always trained with great care – he says of the two Barons -. Since there is this opportunity (during the transfer market the lists for the championship can be changed without limits, ed.) we decided to exploit it.”