Lazio vs. Roma, the eternal derby

Rome comes to a halt for a Derby della Capitale with huge stakes: the two teams are separated by just two points, with both vying for a spot in next season’s Champions League. Lazio reignited their hopes of finishing in the top four by beating Atalanta last week and would pull away from the Giallorossi with a win. Roma, meanwhile, haven’t lost since 15 December, although their seven-game winning run did come to an end following Sunday’s draw with Juventus. Should they win, Ranieri’s men would move above Lazio in the table.

HEAD TO HEAD

La Roma ha mantenuto la porta inviolata negli ultimi tre derby contro la Lazio in campionato, solo due volte nella storia della Serie A i giallorossi hanno registrato quattro clean sheet di fila contro i biancocelesti: nel periodo tra il 1943 e il 1947 e tra il 1959 e il 1960. Roma have not conceded any goals in their last three derbies against Lazio in the Italian top-flight and only twice in Serie A history have the Giallorossi kept four clean sheets in a row against the Biancocelesti: between 1943 and 1947 and between 1959 and 1960. After the 2-0 in the first leg on 05/01/2025, Roma could win both seasonal derbies in Serie A against Lazio for the first time since 2015/16. Moreover, the Giallorossi could gain three consecutive wins against the Biancocelesti in the Italian top-flight for the first time since December 2016 (four in that case). In the last 10 derbies between Lazio and Roma in all competitions, only once have both teams scored in the same match: in the Biancocelesti's 3-2 league victory on 26 September 2021. Lazio are unbeaten in their last nine home games against Roma in all competitions (W6 D3), already a record run for the Biancocelesti in home games in the Rome derby – the Giallorossi’s last away win dates back to 04/12/2016 in Serie A (0-2 with goals scored by Strootman and Nainggolan).

DID YOU KNOW?

Lazio won their most recent match against Atalanta, yet since last December they have only won two games in a row once in the league: in February, against Cagliari and Monza. Roma are unbeaten in their last 15 Serie A games (W11 D4), only PSG (the only team yet to lose) have a longer open streak of matches without defeat (28 games) this season in the major five European leagues – the last match lost by the Giallorossi in the league dates back to 15/12/2024 (away against Como). Thanks to the win in the first leg, Claudio Ranieri has become the first coach to win his first four derbies as Roma manager in Serie A. Moreover, he could equal Fabio Capello, Nils Liedholm, Luciano Spalletti and Luigi Barbesino (all five) in first place among the coaches with the most wins in the history of the derby between Roma and Lazio in Serie A. The matches between Lazio and Roma are the ones in which the highest number of yellow cards and red cards have been registered in Serie A in the three points for a win era (since 1994/95): 366 yellow cards and 39 red cards. Lazio (25) and Roma (21) are two of the four teams to have scored the most goals in the last 30 minutes of play in this Serie A campaign, with Milan and Bologna both having scored 22.

PLAYERS

Mattia Zaccagni (six assists in this Serie A campaign, as in 2022/23) could set his record of assists provided in a single season in the Italian top-flight; this is also his second-best season in terms of goals scored in the tournament (eight goals in 2024/25), behind 2022/23 (10). After his goal in the first leg, Alexis Saelemaekers could become only the third Roma player to score in both of his first two derbies against Lazio in Serie A in the three points for a win era (since 1994/95), after Vincenzo Montella in 1999/00 and Edin Dzeko in 2015/16.

DISCIPLINE

Suspended: none Cautioned: Isaksen, Belahyane, Baroni (Lazio); Pellegrini (Roma)

REFEREE

SOZZA (PERROTTI – ROSSI M.) IV: DOVERI, VAR: MERAVIGLIA, AVAR: DI PAOLO

UPCOMING MATCHES IN SERIE A

Genoa-Lazio (Monday 21 April 18.00 CEST) Roma-Hellas Verona (Saturday 19 April, 20.45 CEST) (Photo Getty Images)