The painful defeat in the Rome derby against Roma (0:2) seems to have knocked Lazio out of the Scudetto race. At the Olimpico against Como, Baroni's players need to show a proper reaction after the defeat they suffered. Their fans expect a convincing victory, after which they can emerge from the moral slump.
Despite the setback in the last round, Lazio maintained their place in the top 4, but Juventus and Fiorentina are level on points with the club representing the Italian capital city (all with 35 points). The "Eagles" have accumulated 33.89 xG over 19 matches in Serie A — only Inter (38.69) and Atalanta (42.80) have more. The attacking potential of the Romans may be affected by the suspension of Castelleto, but the Argentine has a strong replacement — Dia has contributed 4 goals and 2 assists in the league.
At the end of December, Como made a New Year’s gift to their fans by escaping the relegation zone after a victory against Lecce (2:0). The newcomer to the elite division is struggling to accumulate points due to a weak defense — with 22.66 xGA, they have conceded 30 goals (the worst difference in Serie A). Away from home, Fabregas’s team has suffered three defeats in their last five matches, accumulating only six points over 10 games (17th place).
The first-round match between Como and Lazio ended in a crushing victory for the Romans (5:1). Even without their attacking leaders, the "Eagles" will take the coveted points at home, especially since the underdog is missing defender Goldaniga (due to yellow card accumulation).
