Lazio striker Miroslav Klose. (Photo : Getty Images)
Surging squad SS Lazio (15-13-9, 54 points) will look to end this season's campaign on a high note as they meet reeling contenders ACF Fiorentina (17-10-10, 61 points) at the Stadio Olimpico in Roma this Sunday, May 15th for their final match in the 2015-2016 Serie A season.
Lazio is presently at the eighth spot in the overall standings, three points behind seventh-placed AC Milan and seven points below the last Europa League qualifying berth held by fifth-running team ACF Fiorentina.
While there is no longer a way for the team to qualify in either the Champions League and Europa League competitions, they are safe to stay in the Italian top flight next season even as they will end this term quite poorer than their third place finish last year.
I Biancocelesti survived a double red card booking in their 3-1 thrashing of bottom three team Carpi FC last Sunday at the Stadio Alberto Braglia, as reported by SkySports.
Head coach Simone Inzaghi's boys scored the first three goals of the contest, courtesy of defender Milan Bisevac, midfielder Antonio Candreva, and striker Miroslav Klose at the 23rd, 32nd, and 73rd minutes respectively, before team captain Lucas Biglia was booked with a second yellow card at the 83rd while substitute striker Filip Djordjevic was given a direct red card at the stroke of full time.
Carpi forward Jerry Mbakogu netted a consolation goal at the 84th to put his team on the board.
Meanwhile, Fiorentina settled at the fifth place of the overall standings after going on a four-game winless slide. The team have only won once in their last 11 games, which caused them to drop from being the top three team in the table.
Viola is coming off a 0-0 draw with relegation-fighting US Citta di Palermo last Sunday at their home ground of Stadio Artemio Franchi, as per ESPN.
While the draw did not affect the standing of manager Paulo Sousa's squad, it helped Palermo escape the relegation zone for the time being.
The predicted result is a close 2-1 win for Lazio.
Lazio starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Marchetti; Basta, Bisevac, Hoedt, Konko; Mandziuk, Milinkovic-Savic, Lulic; Candreva, Klose, Anderson
Fiorentina starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Tatarusanu; Roncaglia, Gonzalo, Astori, Pasqual; Badelj, Valero; Bernarderschi, Ilicic, Zarate; Kalinic
