After an inconsistent start to the season, Lazio will seek their second Serie A home win when they host Hellas Verona on Monday.
The teams convene at Stadio Olimpico, with the hosts surprisingly trailing their visitors in the table following a lively draw with AC Milan just before the international break.
Match preview
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After failing to follow up an opening-day win over promoted Venezia with another success away to Udinese one week later, Lazio were closing in on three points last time out at the Olimpico, where they led Milan 2-1 with only 20 minutes remaining.
However, second-half strikes from new forward pairing Taty Castellanos and Boulaye Dia were ultimately sufficient for just one point, as the Rossoneri's Rafael Leao produced a stunning equaliser soon after leaving the bench.
Nonetheless, the capital club are now unbeaten through their last seven home games in Serie A, which represents their best such run since the end of 2021, when Simone Inzaghi's side posted a streak of 19, winning no fewer than 17.
While Lazio's current crop are far short of those high standards, new boss Marco Baroni has quietened the doubters for now, having been an unpopular appointment during the summer.
Ahead of his first European adventure with the Biancocelesti - Dynamo Kiev will be their opening Europa League opponents later this month - Baroni must tackle his former club, then a tricky visit to Fiorentina in his hometown of Florence.
Baroni coached Verona last season and successfully led them to safety, but he has lost each of his three previous top-flight contests against the Gialloblu, with his teams failing to score a single goal in the process.
Lazio, though, have scored in all but one of their last 21 league matches against Monday's visitors, averaging 2.2 goals per game.
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Given such a lack of clean sheets, it is perhaps not surprising that Verona have won only one of their last 16 away games against Lazio in Serie A, losing 11.
When the two sides last met, in April, the Biancocelesti came out on top at Stadio Olimpico, with Mattia Zaccagni scoring the winner against his old club in the 72nd minute.
However, a bright start to the new season under Paolo Zanetti may boost hopes of a Verona victory, as they posted two wins from three before international football intervened.
After the Scaligeri stunned Napoli with a 3-0 triumph on the opening day, before suffering a reverse of that scoreline against Juventus, they scored twice in the second half to beat Genoa last time out.
Stretching back to last season, when still led by Baroni, Verona have won five of their last nine league games - and they could now win both of their first two Serie A away fixtures for the very first time.
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Team News
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As Mario Gila will make his return from a thigh injury and may even start in central defence, Lazio have no significant absences to concern them following the international break.
While Matteo Guendouzi patrols the hosts' midfield, Taty Castellanos is set to link up with captain Mattia Zaccagni in the final third; another ex-Verona forward, Tijjani Noslin, will vie with Boulaye Dia to join them.
Blighted by injury last season, Nuno Tavares set up both goals against Milan, and after earning glowing praise from Marco Baroni, he should continue at left-back.
As Ondrej Duda, Tomas Suslov and Martin Frese have recently joined Suat Serdar and Juan Manuel Cruz on the sidelines, Verona coach Paolo Zanetti must make changes to the XI that started in Genoa.
Up front, Casper Tengstedt would beat Daniel Mosquera to selection, with Darko Lazovic providing the Danish striker's supply line from out on the left flank.
An experienced Serbia international, Lazovic already has two assists to his name this season and has registered four against Lazio in his Serie A career to date.
Lazio possible starting lineup:
Provedel; Lazzari, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares; Rovella, Guendouzi; Isaksen, Dia, Zaccagni; Castellanos
Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Tchatchoua, Coppola, Dawidowicz, Bradaric; Belahyane, Silva; Livramento, Harroui, Lazovic; Tengstedt
We say: Lazio 2-1 Hellas Verona
While Verona have exceeded expectations so far this season, Lazio may deal out a defeat to the Scaligeri on Monday evening.
The hosts have averaged two goals per game since freshening up their attack during the summer, so they can claim maximum points on home turf.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
