Although Lazio's long winning run finally ended in midweek, the Rome club are one of five sides vying for top spot in Serie A ahead of Sunday's trip to Parma.

The Biancocelesti had won seven straight games before playing out a goalless draw in the Europa League, while their hosts were beaten again last week and sit just outside the drop zone.

Match preview

After making the most of their fortune against 10-man Bologna last weekend, Lazio have won their last five Serie A matches, firing home 14 goals and conceding only two in the process.

Marco Baroni's men truly come to life after the break, having scored the most times during the final half-hour this season, including all three goals against Bologna at Stadio Olimpico - a tally of 15 is five more than any other club.

Now seeking a run of six successive wins in Italy's top flight for the first time since 2021, Lazio have established themselves among the pace-setters and could have half an eye on challenging for the Scudetto in an apparently wide-open title race.

Should they win again this weekend, Baroni would reach 10 victories in his first 14 Serie A matches since taking charge, laying to rest any lingering doubts from sceptical fans.

His team's superb sequence of results was slightly spoiled on Thursday evening, though, when their flawless Europa League record finally came to an end on home turf.

Nonetheless, a 0-0 draw with Ludogorets still leaves Lazio top of the league-phase table with just three games to go.

Dating back more than a decade, Parma have lost each of their last nine league meetings with Lazio - trailing 21-4 on aggregate - and that represents their longest streak of defeats against any single opponent.

Present form also suggests that the visitors should start strong favourites for Sunday's clash at Stadio Tardini, as the Aquile are flying high while Parma have won only once since August.

In fact, no team has lost more home games than Fabio Pecchia's side this season - four from seven so far - and they are embroiled in a battle against the drop.

Having been promoted as Serie B champions last term, the Gialloblu are now trying to stay afloat in Calcio's top tier, but they have let several points slip by throwing away leads.

Last time out, they were brushed aside by Atalanta BC - one of only two teams with a better record than Lazio over the past six matchdays - as Matteo Cancellieri scored the hosts' goal in a 3-1 defeat.

Team News

Once again, Lazio will be without Serie A assist leader and regular left-back Nuno Tavares, so Luca Pellegrini is set to keep his place in an otherwise much-changed XI.

After being rested in the Europa League, Italy midfielder Nicolo Rovella, top scorer Taty Castellanos, first-choice goalkeeper Ivan Provedel and captain Mattia Zaccagni should all return to the starting lineup.

The latter has scored in each of his last three league games - against Cagliari, Monza and Bologna - and could now find the net in four consecutive top-flight matches for the first time: one more goal would also equal his total tally for the whole of last season (six in 28 appearances).

Gustav Isaksen played through illness as a substitute in midweek and could also be brought back in, but Gaetano Castrovilli misses out again.

Meanwhile, Matteo Cancellieri - who played 20 times without recording any Serie A goal involvements for Lazio during the 2022-23 campaign – is Parma's in-form forward, having scored two goals in his last four games at the Tardini.

Hernani will return to the hosts' squad after injury, but Fabio Pecchia is still without Adrian Bernabe, Yordan Osorio and long-term absentees Mateusz Kowalski and Alessandro Circati.

Parma possible starting lineup:
Suzuki; Coulibaly, Del Prato, Balogh, Valeri; Keita, Estevez; Man, Sohm, Cancellieri; Bonny

Lazio possible starting lineup:
Provedel; Lazzari, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini; Rovella, Guendouzi; Isaksen, Dele-Bashiru, Zaccagni; Castellanos

We say: Parma 2-2 Lazio

Though plenty of evidence points towards an away win, Parma can pose a threat to most teams in Serie A - albeit holding onto a lead often proves their undoing.

Amid a packed schedule - Europa League leaders Lazio face a Coppa Italia tie against Napoli next week - the Aquile may take their foot off the gas.


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