- Pjanic suspended. - Maicon & Florenzi injured. - Lazio are resting their best players tomorrow. I'm not optimistic.
DDR is injured too, along with Florenzi and Maicon. I knew it wasn't going to end well when Maicon entered the pitch for the 3rd time in 1 week. Very hard match with our injuries, I'm expecting a draw.
Czni Toro Rudinolas Digne Nags, Victory, Flo or DDR (one will fight their way on to the pitch, if not both, no?) Salah, Dzeko, Vino Something like that?
Sky: Gervinho likely on the bench for the Derby Sky Sport: Italian journalist Angelo Mangiante has reported today that Roma’s Gervinho is likely destined for a place on the bench against Lazio for Sunday’s Derby della Capitale. Reportedly, Roma manager Rudi Garcia is hoping to give more balance to the team given the absence of Maicon and the likely absence of Alessandro Florenzi. It is more than likely that the Frenchman will opt for Iago Falque in attack alongside Dzeko and Salah.
So Falque over Gervinho for more defense on the flank? I guess it makes some sense. Gervinho on around 65-70 to run at a tired defense, I really like the sound of that.
they won't be dumb enough to play a high line versus Salah Gervinho and Iturbe...it's going to be another Coppa final type game..boring, cagey, and few, if any chances
In defense we have no choices: Toro-Manolas-Rudiger-Digne Midfield is a disaster without Pjanic, and most likey without DDR. Either throw out Keita after 2 months of injury, or play VQ. Its also possible that we play Falque behind Dzeko in 4-2-3-1, or Rudi does something unlikely like starting Ucan. Only one confirmed to start is Ninja. In attack Dzeko and Salah are sure to start, Gervinho seemed tired in 2nd half against Bayer so he might be benched this game.
If Dzeko was saving all his goals for one game, this is the game. He is going to be our most important player, and he has to finish the first chance or 2 he gets. If we can get a lead then we will kill them, their defence is worse than ours.
If we fail to keep clean sheet here we will break the longest record of no clean sheet in Roma's history. We are currently matched with the horrible 2004-05 season. Interestingly the no clean sheet streak that year was broken in the infamous embarrassing 0-0 derby where both teams seemed to have cooperated to end it in a draw to help avoid relegation.
After a hellish ordeal trying to get tickets coming in from Napoli, I got the ticket and am going to the derby!!!!
It's now time for Rudi to get creative. Play Castan in a 3 back formation. Throw Digne and Flo. on the wings. Ninja and either Ucan or Vainqueur in CMF. Toro = loss.
I really think this is the game for Ucan, and when we go one (make that two) up bring V in. Defense scares me, as Toro will more than likely play, but the Merda's backline is just as crap, so I think we should attack, and hence why we need Ucan, we will not get a clean sheet, so we'll need to score more than they do. Scan's through balls to Gervais and Salah will be a necessity. I heard rumours Gervais might not play, or start from the bench, anyone heard more on that?
I have given up hope of ever getting a clean sheet this season. Like you said, we should be able to score on them so maybe a 4-3 match. I would love to see Ucan this game but Rudi is Rudi. He'd start Keita over Ucan, yet the kid has done nothing but impress every time he's played.
Lazio has only sold a little over 2,000 tickets. 300 in the Curva Nord, 100 in Monte Mario, and the rest in the Distinti Nord.
This is one of those years where I care even less about the derby than usual. We have bigger fish to fry than Lazio. Hopefully we can ride a little bit of momentum from the CL win. I'm expecting a pretty uneventful draw though.