Lazio

Sky Sports reports that West Ham have agreed a fee with Lazio for their Macedonian striker Goran Pandev. It has been an open secret this summer that Gianfranco Zola has been desperately seeking to strengthen his forward line. 

With the News of the World alleging last weekend that Dean Ashton may have to retire from the game due to a degenerative ankle condition, adding a striker to the Hammers’ squad has become of even greater importance.

Pandev began his career at FK Belasica where he only spent a solitary season in the first team. His prodigious talent became well known throughout Europe leading to Inter Milan signing the youngster.

As with many promising youngsters at big clubs in Italy, the Macedonian was loaned out to C1 side Spezia to gain experience.  The following season, he was again sent on loan, this time to newly promoted Serie A side Ancona.

In 2004, Pandev arrived in Rome as part of a swap deal which took Lazio’s Serbian star Dejan Stanković to Inter.  Pandev impressed in his first year at Lazio, making 29 appearances and netting 3 goals. One of which included an unforgettable strike against Juventus where he beat Fabio Cannavaro, Lilian Thuram and Gianluca Zambrotta, before beating Gianluigi Buffon with an angled shot.

The striker’s star ascended even higher with Delio Rossi’s appointment as manager. He partnered the youngster with Tommaso Rocchi upfront and the two formed a great understanding. He caused some of Europe’s biggest teams to sit up and take note when he twice equalised against Real Madrid in the Champions League preliminary stages in 2007-2008.

Pandev’s form meant that he has been continually linked with a move away from the Biancocelesti. However, he has always insisted that he would stay with the club until 2010 when his contract expires. In all, he has scored 48 goals in 149 games, an excellent return for a striker in Serie A.

Pandev possesses excellent pace and acceleration which is also coupled with great physical strength. This enables him to play of the shoulder of the last defender, accelerate onto through-balls, hold the defender off and beat the goalkeeper. 

He is left footed and hardly uses ever uses his right, meaning that sometimes he losses the opportunity of a strike on goal.

He possesses a striker’s knack of being in the right place at the right time, making him dangerous in the box and he feasts on loose balls. However, despite standing at 6ft, he is weak in the air, something which he will have to improve if he is to be successful in the Premier League.

Only a season ago Pandev’s asking price was bracketed around the £15 million mark. However, the Macadonian is refusing to sign a contract extension, resulting in Lazio forcing him to train on his own. Pandev has retaliated by threatening legal action.

This unfortunate situation has lead to West Ham purchasing an exciting player for a bargain basement fee combined with a 20% sell on clause. With Carlton Cole beginning to fulfil his promise (back-passes aside) West Ham could have a threatening strike force which can capitalise on their exciting attacks that often do not get the finish that the move deserves.

All that remains is for personal terms to be agreed and for him to pass a medical. Until both these hurdles have been surmounted, Hammers fans should be wary of a bigger club hijacking their bid.

Video evidence of Goran Pandev can be seen here.

Lazio 1* - Osasuna 1 (Pens. 5-4) (Friendly, August 13, 2009) Juanfran put the Spanish side in front with a fine solo goal down the right hand side. Mauro Zarate equalised from close range for Lazio.

Villareal 1 - Genoa 2 (Friendly, August 13, 2009) After a busy summer of transfer activity, Genoa look in good shape ahead of the new campaign. Giusepe Sculli headed Genoa in front, Hernan Creso doubled the lead whilst Robert Pires equalised from the penalty spot.

Cadiz 1 - Deportivo La Coruna 3 (Friendly, August 13, 2009)

Castellon 0 - Atltetico Madrid 1 (Friendly, August 13, 2009)

***

Laval 3 - Strasbourg 2 (Ligue 2, August 13, 2009) A ding-dong match saw the home side take the lead three times. First through Marcolino only for Gueye to equalise. Levrat fired home Laval’s second before Fauverge claimed another for the away side, Hamouma scored the winner with 14 minutes to go.

***

Beira Mar 0 - Sp. Covilha 1 (Liga Vitalis, August 13, 2009) Ribeiro scored the only goal of the game with four minutes remaining.

***

Vitoria 2 - Coritiba 0 (Copa Sudamericana, August 13, 2009) Silva claimed a deflected free-kick two minutes into the second half, Jackson completed the win  eighteen minutes from time.

Liverpool FC 0 - Cienciano 0 (Copa Sudamericana, August 13, 2009)

Inter Milan v Lazio, Italian Super Cup, August 8, 2009

Inter Milan 4/6; Draw 23/10; Lazio 7/2

The 2009/2010 Italian season kicks off with the 22nd annual Italian Super Cup match between Inter Milan and Lazio. For the fourth time in the history of the season curtain-raiser the match is to be held abroad, in the famous “Bird’s Nest” Stadium in Beijing, China.

Inter arrived in Beijing last weekend to prepare themselves for the encounter and to hit the ground running this season. It has been a busy summer for the Nerazzurri, as president Massimo Moratti has opened up his wallet to provide Jose Mourinho with a spectacular squad that looks on paper like the best in Italy.

The loss of Zlatan Ibrahimovic is offset by the arrivals of Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito whilst fellow new signings Lucio and Thiago Motta add a great amount of steel to the spine of the team.

Mourinho is still looking to splash some cash with a playmaker type of central midfielder tipped to join (Deco or Wesley Sneijder perhaps?) while another striker, Twente’s Marko Arnautovic, is all but signed. The “Special One” complained last season that his squad wasn’t big enough to challenge on all fronts, it looks like the media savvy Portuguese coach won’t have the same excuse in the coming campaign.

Having now won four Italian titles in a row, both the Inter fans and president Moratti are hoping for some progress in the Champions League. It will be intriguing to see how Mourinho lines up his side this season, will he go with the favoured 4-3-3, to accommodate Eto’o, Milito and rising star (Super) Mario Balotelli or a more conservative 4-4-2 that utilises many of the midfielders available (including Cambiasso, Stankovic, Zanetti and Muntari).

Coppa Italia winners Lazio have also made some significant signings this summer, strengthening their squad with experienced Argentine goalkeeper Albano Bizzarri and Real Zaragoza’s Brazilian midfielder Matuzalen to add quality in the middle of the park.

Going forward Lazio have added some real attacking flair by snapping up Eliseu, a bargain from Malaga, as well as veteran striker Julio Cruz from opponents Inter. Mauro Zarate remains their great hope up front after an excellent first season in Serie A and his permanent signing may have been the most important business conducted by the club in recent months.

Question marks still remain over the future of Goran Pandev who has not been shy in voicing his desire to leave, but overall the Biancocelesti have a fairly good squad at Serie A level. Crucially, they have a fantastic new tactician in Davide Ballardini who was a success at Palermo and if he can get the big name players going, Lazio could be an outside tip for a Champions League spot.

101gg predicts: Inter Milan 3 – Lazio 1 (11/1)

Inter Milan 4/6; Draw 23/10; Lazio 7/2

Full match odds here.

I'll start by admitting that it wasn't easy writing this piece.

Even thinking about it without bursting into massive cliches and gushing about how Pavel Nedvěd is the greatest player in the history of world football and he was unlike anyone else who's ever lived and we should all hail him as King of the World... but as I'll try and explain, unfortunately this isn't Nedvěd's style, maybe I'll save it for Cristiano Ronaldo though.

So why am I celebrating his career? How can I articulate why exactly he deserves a tribute? What defined him? Well, let's start with what the experts have to say and Czechoslovakia's 1976 European Championship winning member Karol Dobias sounds like he'd have a good opinion on the matter.

"This lad has no future," he wrote in his newspaper column commenting on when Nedvěd started playing for Slavia Prague. Recently, Nedvěd stated that he "owes a lot to Dobias for motivating me even more to reach the very top."

And within this small riposte one can already see the mentality which served Nedvěd so very well.

Another story comes from when the Czech was signed by Juventus from Lazio in order to fill that Zidane-shaped hole left in their squad in 2001. He outshone all his team-mates and earned all of their respect, not through his antics on the football pitch but instead through his commitment in training.

He would deliberately stay on later than everyone else and even stay in Turin over summer just to ensure he was on top form. And it was this discipline which earned him the trophies and longevity which came later at the Old Lady.

And this is Nedvěd's secret. He won the 2003 Ballon d'Or from the clutches of Zinedine Zindane and Thierry Henry not on terms of his natural ability on the ball, blistering pace or magic touch, otherwise he'd have come stone dead last.

The Czech built his foundations on the principles of hard work and sheer grit and determination, in fact he said himself, "I don't think I am that great technically. My game is simple; there are no secrets to it, just work and more work."

By his own definition, Nedvěd is a pretty ordinary football player. He doesn't have any brilliant, shining, stand-out qualities but instead has worked hard at being good at everything. Which is something we can aspire to. If anything, he proved that football could be played at any level by almost anyone if backed-up with the right mentality.

Another defining moment of his career came in the 2006 Calciopoli match-fixing scandal, in which Juventus was relegated to Serie B with a points deduction. Nedvěd was high on the list of transfers away from Turin that very summer and if this didn't happen, then many were sure he'd head into retirement.

So you can understand the shock when he stayed true to the Bianconeri and stayed for another three seasons. Not just playing an integral place in leading the club into Serie A again, but into the Champions League. He is forever a part of Juventus folklore for being one of the few who stayed and restored the honour of one of the greatest clubs in Italy.

In fact, so fond was Ranieri in using the Czech that he came under fire from pundits and writers alike for not using starlet Sebastian Giovinco on the left wing instead. But the simple fact of the matter was that there was no-one on the team-sheet with the commitment, nor the contribution to the team that the 36-year-old had.

It's not particularly surprising then that in his last game, aptly a league fixture between Juventus and Lazio, that the Czech received a standing ovation from everyone in the stadium. It wasn't a reserved applause for a man trotting off into retirement; better than that, it had been earned.

Nedvěd was a player who could have easily had no future but whose sheer will and determination went on to make him European Player of the Year. He wasn't a great player in the same vein as Zindane or Platini or Maradonna, with an arsenal of dazzling skills to fall back on, he was just himself and worked hard at it.

That's what made him great without being great.

And just to prove it. Because we all know someone hasn't made it in the world of football until someone makes a compilation of their best goals set to some migraine-inducing house music on youtube...:

Zenit St. Petersburg and Serie A side Lazio apparently have a few things in common this summer.

The Powder Blues from Peter's City have already unloaded striker Andrei Arshavin to Arsenal, midfielder/captain Anatoliy Tymoschuk to Bayern Munich, and manager Dick Advocaat to the Belgian national team.

Many words have it that a fair handfull of additional players could also be on their way out of the Petrovsky, including current center-forward Pavel Pogrebnyak.

Lazio seem to be in a similar position.

Star Macedonian striker Goran Pandev seems to be on his way out, but his final destination is still unsure. Juventus, Palermo, and Napoli have all expressed an interest in the forward, but have not made a solid offer.

With Zenit St. Petersburg's growing need for an able striker, Pandev seems to be a primary target. For the time being, Pogrebnyak is still the No. 1 forward. He's the only forward for that matter.

Aging Turkish forward Fatih Tekke has not taken the pitch since early May when he sustained an injury at Rostov. Arshavin is gone. Offensive midfielder Danny has also been bitten by the injury bug.

So why not pursue Pandev?

No price is wrong in this deal. A need for a playmaking forward is glaringly obvious.

Zenit has already offered Lazio a reported 15 million Euros, which is exactly what Lazio had demanded for the Macedonian. But that offer was rejected by a greedy Claudio Lotito, who is now asking for 20 million.

Regardless, it is a price that must be paid.

Zenit has lacked a playmaking forward with some speed and versatility since Arshavin departed for Arsenal several months ago. Now, Pandev is not comparable with Arshavin under any regular circumstances. But he would do his best to bring back that energy and skill that has been missing for some time now.

Pandev, a 25-year-old, has scored 48 goals for Lazio since 2004 and also added 15 goals for Macedonia in 44 career caps.

Lotito has also issued an ultimatum, to every player wishing to leave Lazio, that if they went against his wishes and pursued a transfer but end up staying, they would be relegated to the bench.

Bring Pandev to the Petrovsky. Live long and prosper.

In other transfer news, Zenit has offered a lucrative contract to Atletico Madrid's Luis Garcia, who has underperformed in Spain after returning from Liverpool in 2007. The small forward, who has been an aerial threat all of his career, could be pursuaded to move to Russia if Juande Ramos is the successor to Dick Advocaat.

Garcia's heart still appears in England, even if he ends up playing for a Championship club like West Bromwich Albion.

In the meantime, Zenit has completed it's double of training matches in Austria and Belgium. They began the trip to rainy Vienna where the club defeated Austria Wien 0-1 thanks to a Pavel Pogrebyak goal in the 90th minute.

From there, Advocaat's men headed to Brussels for a showdown with RSC Anderlecht, where they drew at two. Konstantin Zyryanov scored once more in incredible fashion for Zenit and fellow Russian international Igor Semshov scored top shelf in the 75th minute.

Anderlecht would tie the game in stoppage time as vice-captain Jelle Van Damme forced a shot past new Zenit skipper Malafeev.

The Russians will now head home to the friendly confines when they face 2nd place FC Moscow at the Petrovsky on July 12.

It’s time for the final round in the Italian top flight, as Juventus entertain SS Lazio. The Bianconeri have had difficulties plucking points of the Biancocelesti this season and have their final crack at a victory this Sunday at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin.

Last week, both teams broke their poor runs by recording long-awaited wins. While the capital club doesn’t have anything to play for, the Old Lady of Turin can finish the season in second place with a victory.

Juventus

After going seven consecutive games without recording a single win, the club shockingly sacked Claudio Ranieri with only two games remaining in the season.

As Ranieri stepped aside, former Juventus player Ciro Ferrara—who was previously in charge of the youth academy—was brought in as a temporary replacement.

Although Ferrara didn’t change the system, he managed to do what Ranieri had been failing to do for so long—motivate the players.

The new coach had a direct effect on the team that went on to thump Siena 3-0 as Alessandro Del Piero was reinstated back into the starting XI.

The captain thanked his former teammate by bagging a brace—one of which was a wonderful trademark free kick—and creating the third for Claudio Marchisio. After the game, Del Piero confessed that he and Ranieri hadn’t really seen eye to eye.

As a result of the win, Juventus moved level on points with AC Milan and bumped the Rossoneri down to third place because of their superior head to head record against Carlo Ancelotti’s men. A win against Lazio on Sunday would secure second place while also strengthening Ferrara’s bid to take over as manager next season.

Ranieri’s dismissal isn’t the only thing that has been stealing headlines lately. Werder Bremen’s Diego finalized his move to Turin in the past couple of days after lengthy negotiations. On top of that, the club has confirmed that Fabio Cannavaro is indeed returning to his former club in July.

On Sunday, Ferrara will have to make do without the services of the injured Albin Ekdal, Cristian Molinaro, and Zdenek Grygera. Although Mohamed Sissoko participated in training after his recovery, he’s set for place on the bench at best.

Probable starting XI (according to the Gazzetta): Buffon; Zebina, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, De Ceglie; Camoranesi, Zanetti, Marchisio, Nedved; Iaquinta, Del Piero.

SS Lazio

After the Coppa Italia triumph against Sampdoria, things have spiraled downwards for Delio Rossi’s men. The Biancocelesti went on a losing streak and were defeated in four consecutive games before they managed to buck the trend last week.

Just like their opponents, Lazio managed to put an end to their poor streak as they sent basement boys Reggina tumbling back down to Serie B. Mauro Zarate scored the only goal in the game, which proved enough to finally record a victory for Delio Rossi’s men in a match that was brought forward by Uefa due to the Champions League final.

Lazio are currently occupying 10th spot in the standings and have, through their Coppa Italia, win already secured a place in next season’s Europa League.

Although the Biancocelesti don’t have anything to play for in their final game, they have had an excellent record against Juventus this season, winning twice and drawing once in three encounters.

Another win could see them end the season on a high note—and provide a reason for president Claudio Lotito to keep the much pressured Rossi on the bench next season.

Mauro Zarate has been granted an early holiday and is unlikely to feature in Sunday’s high profile clash. On top of that, Emilson Cribari, Christian Manfredini, Simone Inzaghi, and Tomaso Rocchi are out with injuries, while Goran Pandev is set to sit out through suspension.

With so many players injured, Rossi may be forced to call up some Primavera players to fill the empty slots.

Probable starting XI (according to the Gazzetta): Carrizo; De Silvestri, Diakite, Rozenhal, Kolarov; Brocchi, Ledesma, Matuzalem, Foggia; Kozak, Mendicino

Ouch! For only the second time since beginning our online betting experiment we experienced a sad wipeout with four out four predictions going south. £25 lighter, the hunger is feverish to prove ourselves once more and to wipe the smile of our bookies 888.com.

As always we encourage you, our loyal readers, to join us in taking money off the fat cats and you can do so by registering here and claiming your FREE £25 bet.

Over in France, Lyon have been feeling sorry for themselves in the past for weeks as they have watched their seven-year stranglehold on Ligue 1 finally loosen, recording a lousy two draws and two defeats in the last four matches. The arrival of Nantes to the Stade Gerland offers a ray of light, the third-from-bottom visitors experiencing an even worst run of form having chalked up five defeats in their last six outings.

One team very much on the up in Ligue 1 is Auxerre, who have won their last three successive matches including impressive victories at Monaco and Sochaux. AJA welcome Grenoble on Wednesday night in the league, with last year’s Ligue 2 promotion winners safe for another season in the top flight and looking a little too relaxed with only two wins in their last six outings.

Fancying both Lyon (1/3) and Auxerre (10/11) to pick up home wins, hopefully £15 will produce a £23.18 profit.

There is no tighter title race than the Bundesliga, and with a full round of midweek matches the destination of the title is unlikely to become much clearer.

The concertinaed nature of the German league has allowed Borussia Dortmund to steal into fifth place after an incredible sequence of seven back-to-back wins. With the Champions League spots now firmly in Jurgen Klopp’s sights, his Borussians now face arguably their do-or-die moment away at leaders Wolfsburg.

For their part, the news that manager Felix Magath has agreed to join Schalke from next season appeared to knock Wolfsburg for six, as they were pummeled 4-1 at Stuttgart last weekend. With two defeats in their last three games it is starting to look like the gig is up for the Wolves, as the title begins to slip out their own hands.

Hedging our bets that Wolfsburg will not win, we are placing £7 on Borussia to win at 13/5 (yielding a £25.20 return) and £5 on the draw at 5/2 (yielding a £17.50 return).

Lastly, we end with two riskier bets hoping for big reward.

Barcelona have the chance to scoop their first major honour of the season on Wednesday night as they meet Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final. For most this match appears a foregone conclusion, with the irresistible Catalans looking like mopping up all their domestic trophies as a formality before the play Manchester United in the Champions League final.

However, such thoughts act as a terrible disservice to Bilbao who will head into the match looking to win the Copa del Rey for the 24th time, which would lift it level with Barcelona as its record winner. As one of the most important clubs in Spanish history, the Basque team have a proud record in knock-out competitions and will be super-charged to claim the prized scalp of Barca.

Backing the underdog who are priced at 11/2 to win, we are backing Bilbao with a £5 looking for a healthy £27.50 profit.

Lastly, we are looking to place a flutter on the Coppa Italia final which also takes place on Wednesday night between Lazio and Sampdoria.

Arguably, the most decisive factor heading into the match is the venue, Lazio own home ground the Stadio Olimpico was pre-selected to host the final of the competition and according offers the side from Rome a huge early advantage over Samp.

Nevertheless, is there was any team in Italy who is likely to mess up such a benefit it is Lazio, who have been blowing hot-and-cold for the majority of the season. Sitting 10th in the league, having recorded three straight losses after a run of three straight victories, Lazio are too unpredictable to be outright favourites for the cup.

With that said, and with attractive odds of 12/5 on the Sampdoria win, we aim to turn £7 into a £28 return.

In spite of the disaster that shook the whole nation just a few days ago, the Stadio Olimpico in Roma was filled to the brim with excited supporters who had come to watch the 132nd Derby della Capitale—and what a game they were in for as SS Lazio defeated AS Roma, 4-2.

Expectations were high for obvious reasons as the teams walked out on the field for the afternoon’s highly anticipated clash.

Roma icon Francesco Totti declared late yesterday that he would be able to play in the crucial game and was handed a starting shirt by coach Luciano Spalletti.

Last week Roma put an end to their winless streak after a brace from captain Totti, whereas Lazio went on to collect their third consecutive defeat. Then again, form matters little in games like these—as Lazio would come to prove.

First Half

Second minute

Despite the boost of having their captain back, it was Lazio that showcased the brilliance and flair that is normally brought onto the field by Er Pupone.

The “home” team started the game in the best possible way when Macedonian ace Goran Pandev sent Lazio into the lead with a stunning volley on a Brocchi cross only two minutes into the game.

So much for the pre-arranged five minutes of total silence from the crowd.

Fourth minute

Just two minutes later Mauro Zarate cut in from the left flank, passed his marker and unleashed another stunner to double Lazio’s lead—an absolute dream start for the Biancocelesti, who had come into the game with three straight defeats on their backs.

10th minute

Roma were slowly showing signs of life and after getting over the initial surprise over Lazio’s shock start, they managed to put one back through Philippe Mexés.

Julio Baptista headed down a corner which then found its way to the centre back who then hit home from the six-yard box.

The derby was quickly turning into a classic with a whopping 2-1 after mere ten minutes of play.

17th minute

Roma was growing in confidence after Mexés’ goal and continued to attack as they closed down the flanks.

The home defense looked frail at times and Baptista came close to cancelling out Lazio’s lead with his powerful strike in the 17th minute, but young Muslera pulled off a cool save to keep the Biancocelesti in the lead.

36th minute

The two teams were playing on possession after the intensive start but Roma wanted more. In the 36th minute, the ball was played into the box but Baptista diving header was denied by the post. Daniele De Rossi was quick on the rebound but had already been flagged for offside.

40th minute

With the clock ticking closer the half time break Lazio was holding on for dear life as Roma continued to push forward in their search for an equalizer. Sebastiano Siviglia even came close to scoring an own goal in his attempt to stop a Totti volley from going in.

45th minute

The home team had the last chance of the first half through Zarate, but the Argentinian’s long-range effort whisked past Doni’s left post.  

Second Half

46th minute

Roma coach Luciano Spalletti was shown the red card prior to the restart due to some form of squabbling in the player's tunnel and was sent up to watch the second half from the stands.

56th minute

It took some time for the second half to get underway—in terms of action that is. Ten minutes into the second half, Lazio started to show off some of the pure will that had landed them their dream start.

Matuzalem fed Pandev just outside the area as Lazio went on a lightning-fast counter, but the forward was denied his brace by a wonderful save from Doni in the Roma goal.

58th minute

Just two minutes after his wonder save, Doni had to watch as Stephen Lichtsteiner headed the ball into the net and added a third to re-instate Lazio’s two-goal lead—the fullback’s first in the Lazio shirt.

63rd minute

Roma was simply refusing to give in, despite Lazio’s 3-1 lead which also meant that frustration was starting to show its ugly face. Lichtsteiner and Panucci shared some harsh words as the latter just seconds before the incident had taken down Pandev. 

Referee Morganto wouldn’t have any of it and booked both players. Since Panucci already had a booking from the first half he received his marching orders—leaving Roma one man down.

65th minute

Both sides made substitutions as Mauro Zarate made way for Tommaso Rocchi to tumultuous applause from the Lazio supporters and Matteo Brighi stepped aside for Max Tonetto as Roma sought out to add number to the weakened defense due to Panucci’s dismissal.

75th minute

Things were quickly starting to get out of hands as another squabble broke out between Philippe Mexés and Matuzalem. Referee Morganti didn’t know what to do except to show both players straight red cards.

80th minute

Despite being down to an unbelievable nine men, Daniele De Rossi managed to give Roma new hopes of sparing the blushes as he headed Davide Pizarro’s free-kick while staying completely still past Muslera to make it 3-2.

86th minute

Roma’s joy was to be very short-lived as Alexandar Kolarov found the net only six minutes later after going on a solo-run. Kolarov skipped past three Roma players before he restored Lazio’s two goal lead for the third time in the game. The Curva Sud was celebrating like crazy at the smell of victory.

90+5

After Kolarov’s goal Roma had finally had enough and let Lazio pass the ball around until Morganti blew the whistle to end another memorable Derby della Capitale.

SS Lazio – AS Roma 4-2

1-0  Pandev (2), 2-0 Zarate (4), 2-1 Mexés (10), 3-1 Lichtsteiner (58), 3-2 De Rossi (80), 4-2 Kolarov (86)

Red cards: Luciano Spalletti 46 (Roma), Christian Panucci 63 (Roma), Philippe Mexés 75 (Roma), Matuzalem 75 (Lazio)

The time has come for the second Derby Della Capitale of the season. Rome is once again filled with the atmosphere only the anticipation of one of the fiercest derbies  in football can bring forth—the fixture between AS Roma and SS Lazio.

There is, however, a dark cloud resting over the capital city due to the earthquake in L’Aquila, outside of Rome, which has until now taken the lives of almost 300 people.

Despite the disaster, Serie A games are to go ahead just as scheduled.

More than the city’s bragging rights are at stake when the Giallorossi and Biancocelesti clash on Saturday evening.

Neither of the two clubs have had satisfactory campaigns and both are in dire need of points if they are to salvage their dreams of European football next season.

Lazio are coming into the game with three consecutive defeats, while Roma have a hoard of players on the injury list.

On Saturday there will be no excuses, only blood, sweat, and tears, as the two clubs battle for honor in the Eternal City.

SS Lazio

Lazio are coming into the derby with three consecutive defeats under their belts. Coach Delio Rossi apologized after last week’s defeat against relegation threatened side Siena, but informed the media that he was not going to resign, despite the fact that the club has been crashing down the table.

Lazio are in a desperate state with immense pressure from both supporters and club president Claudio Lotito.

Lotito has been furious with the team’s recent performances, and has ordered the players go into a week-long "ritiro" in Norcia ahead of Saturday’s important game.

Lazio are occupying a spot in mid-table and are separated from a Uefa Cup place by eight points.

Considering the poor form the team has showcased these past couple of weeks, little hope remains of them qualifying for European play next season.

Unlike his Roma counterpart, Rossi will have the entire squad at his disposal, with the only exception being Simone Inzaghi, who recently underwent shoulder surgery.

Lazio will have to go out with all guns blazing if they are to win, as another defeat in the make-or-break clash against their city rivals could spell the end of Rossi’s rein at Lazio.

Probable starting XI (according to La Gazzetta dello Sport): Muslera; Lichtsteiner, Siviglia, Cribari, Kolarov; Foggia, Ledesma, Matuzalem; Pandev, Rocchi, Zarate

AS Roma

Just like Lazio, Roma have had a disastrous campaign. Despite fighting their way back from a lowly 17th place in the league table, the prospect of the fourth and last Champions League spot looks very unlikely.

Five points currently separate the Giallorossi from a Champions League spot, as both Genoa and Fiorentina are ahead in the standings. The capital club has promised to do everything on their part to achieve their goal, but can only wait to capitalize on the other clubs’ mistakes.

After the embarrassing 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Juventus, Roma finally managed to snap their winless streak, as club icon Francesco Totti marked his comeback by converting two penalties to give Roma a 2-1 win over Bologna last week.

Luciano Spalletti is facing the prospect of being without the services of quite a few key-players as Alberto Aquilani, Marco Cassetti, Rodrigo Taddei, Mirko Vucinic, Juan, and Cicinho all look set to miss out on the action.

There is also uncertainty about whether or not Totti will be able to take part in the highly anticipated fixture.

Although the fourth place is beyond the team’s control for the time being, they can’t afford any more slip-ups if they are to pick up the pieces when the other teams make mistakes.

Probable starting XI (according to La Gazzetta dello Sport): Doni; Motta, Mexes, Panucci, Riise; De Rossi, Pizarro, Brighi; Perrotta; Baptista, Totti

A.C Milan have succesfully continued thier impressive form to keep pace with leaders Inter Milan after a dominant performance in the Eternal city of Rome, that saw them defeat Lazio 3-0 with the help of from Sir Golden Balls(Beckham) who had two assist on the Night to help Milan move into the second spot in the table only 6 points behind Mourinho's Side and capitalise on Juve's slip up yesterday afternoon.

Milan were Missing Paolo Maldini and Matthieu Flamini through suspension.Others whom also missed the encounter because of long term casualties were Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Emerson, Marco Borriello, and Kakha Kaladze.

Carlo Ancelotti opted to start Clarence Seedorf over Ronaldinho who was originally projected to start, alongside Kaka and Pato up front. He utilized Philippe Senderos and Daniele Bonera, to denied Favalli  of a role in defense. Lazio coach Delio Rossi employed his traditional 4-3-1-2 formation, with Mourad Meghni playing behind Goran Pandev and Mauro Zarate in attack.

The Rossoneri quickly got the Game underway in the Italian capital, as they hoped to maintain their impressive ten year unbeaten run against Lazio alive. However it was the home side that started  brighter, as they had a number of opportunities, including an early claim for a penalty, when Pandev appeared to be fouled by Ambrosini in the area.

Both sides looked cautious early on as they could not even string together some free flowing passes, as the teams opted to commit some clumsy fouls which led to Ambrosini recieving the first booking of the game 16 minutes in. a few moments later Lazio found themselves in an interesting position as they were awarded a foul from about 25 yards out after Senderos softly brought down Zarate from behind.

The match continued in similar fashion for the next ten or so minutes, as neither side created any clear cut opportunities. The goalkeepers looked solid, so did the defenders, who all looked confident when challenging for the ball.

Having said this, the home side were certainly looking better when surging forward in attack.

The Rossoneri started to put some possession together by then however,
which in turn resulted in some great opportunities on goal, most notably one that fell to Pato.

The young Brazilian, who had barely seen the ball to this point, was played through wonderfully and seemed to have the goal at his mercy, however Muslera got there first to amazingly deny him the opportunity.

Incredibly on 36 minutes, Zarate was denied by Abbiati in a one-on-one situation in the area, after he was played through expertly by Pandev on the right. The Milan keeper was quick to react though, as the Lazio striker was denied  in his attempt to dribble around him.

As the first half neared an end, Milan created a moment of Brilliance as they managed to break the deadlock through Pato, completely against the run of play. Kaka’s pass wide to Beckham was then cut back into the area by Golden Balls, who found an unmarked Pato who managed to beat Muslera at the near post with a fine finish. It was the young Brazilian’s tenth goal of the campaign, as he continued his impressive run of form this season. 

Lazio then had several chances to equalize immediately after the Pato goal, with one  in particular that fell to Siviglia on the 45 minute mark when the defender failed in his attempt to tap it in past Abbiati from about six yards out.

Right on the stroke of half time, Pato scored his second in minutes, with a great header from an even better ball  from Beckham once again. The goal did not stand however, as the Brazilian was in an offside position, meaning that Milan would have to be settle for their one goal advantage at the break.

Second Half

The Biancocelesti got the second half underway, But they were immediately dispossessed of the ball, as Milan quickly managed to move forward early. Radu’s fouled  Beckham and got booked after just one minute of play, resulting in a free kick from a dangerous crossing position for the Rossoneri.

Beckham stepped up to take the free kick, and his glorious ball into the area was met by the head of an unmarked Ambrosini, who scored Milan’s second of the night. Lazio’s nightmare defending set pieces led to that goal, as the Milan veteran was easily able to  head the ball home from inside the six yard box, and give his side a two goal lead.

The Rossoneri were all but dominating their opponents in the opening stages of the half, as they prevented Lazio possession of the ball for long periods of time, and managed to frustrate their fans, who quickly became discontent with their side’s performance. In an attempt to fix his teams Performance, Delio Rossi made the first change of the clash on 65 minutes; when Simone Inzaghi was brought on to replace Meghni in attack. 

Soon following the substitution however, Pato was offered the chance to make it three, as he was clean through on goal once again. However this time the Brazilian’s final touch was too heavy, which  allowed Muslera to beat him to it, and deny him of his eleventh of the season.

Kaka had a massive chance to do likewise after 73 minutes, when he was sensationally played through by a wonderful Beckham  again. The Brazilian was successful in beating Muslera in their one on one battle; however the post stopped him from hitting the back of the net and get his name on to the score sheet.

As the half approached the final ten minutes, the home side gave everything they had, however it was Milan that made ammends on the counter attack, when Kaka slipped home the Rossoneri’s third after 83 minutes. An impressive one-two between Seedorf and the Brazilian was enough for the playmaker to easily stroll into the area and beat Muslera at the near post to make it three.

That’s how it would end in Rome, as Milan recorded their thirteenth victory of the season, thanks to goals by Pato, Ambrosini and Kaka. The result allows the Rossoneri to rise to second place, ahead of Juventus while Lazio slips to tenth, and they now find themselves nine points adrift of the fourth and final Champions League qualifying position.

The Scudetto race is bound to get exciting now as Milan will Face Inter in two weeks time.

TEAMS

Lazio (4-3-1-2): Muslera; De Silvestri, Siviglia, Rozenhal, Radu (Kolarov, 74’); Brocchi (Dabo, 74’), Ledesma, Matuzalem; Meghni (Inzaghi, 65’); Pandev, Zarate

Milan (4-3-2-1): Abbiati; Zambrotta (Darmian, 86’), Senderos, Bonera; Jankulovski; Ambrosini, Pirlo, Beckham; Kaka (Shevchenko, 86’), Seedorf; Pato

GOALS

42’ Pato (Milan)

48’ Ambrosini (Milan)

83’ Kaka (Milan)