Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan. (Photo : Getty Images)
Capital city teams SS Lazio (11-10-9, 42 points) and AS Roma (17-4-9, 60 points), two squads looking to finish the season in a bang, are set to meet in a 2015-2016 Serie A derby at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome this Sunday, April 3rd.
Lazio is coming off a close 1-1 tie with AC Milan at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in San Siro on March 20th as their most recent Italian top flight match, via ESPN.
Both teams started scoring early in the match with I Biancocelesti winger Marco Parolo piercing teenage goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's net right at the 9th minute.
The hosts responded quickly, though, with a right-footed shot from the right side of the box from Colombian striker Carlos Bacca at the 15th minute.
The game went scoreless from then on and despite Lazio midfielder Senad Lulic's red card at the 84th, head coach Stefano Pioli's men were still able to hold on to the draw and a share of the point with Milan in the overall standings.
Meanwhile, Roma's eight-game winning streak was snapped by another San Siro squad, Inter Milan, with also a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico on March 19th, as per BBC Sport.
Unlike in the Lazio-AC Milan matchup, this game was scoreless in the whole first half of play as both teams' defenses were tight from the opening kickoff. Eventually, each side's scorers were able to penetrate as the goals came a few minutes into the second half.
Inter midfielder Ivan Perisic finally broke the deadlock at the 53rd with a left-footed shot off an assist by Croatian midfielder Marcelo Brozovic.
Roma tied the count six minutes before the full time whistle via a strike from Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan from a brilliant cross by striker Edin Dzeko.
The tie widened the gap between I Giallorossi and second-running squad Napoli to seven points in the league table. Still, La Maggica is five points above fourth-placed Fiorentina, who is on a nosedive at the moment, to hold on to the third and final Champions League berth in the Italian Serie A.
The predicted result is a tough 2-1 decision for Roma.
Lazio starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Marchetti; Patric, Bisevac, Hoedt, Braafheid; Mandziuk, Biglia, Lulic; Candreva, Matri, Anderson
Roma starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Szczesny; Florenzi, Manolas, Rudiger, Digne; Pjanic, Keita, Nainggolan; Salah, Perotti, El Shaarawy
