Lazio vs. Parma – News and Probable Lineups

On the evening of Saturday, Lazio is set to pursue their fourth consecutive victory as they welcome Parma to the Stadio Olimpico, aiming to maintain their form post-international break.

While the Roman side concluded March with a strong performance, their counterparts from Emilia faced back-to-back defeats, diminishing their chances of a top-half finish in Serie A.

Match overview

Having triumphed over Sassuolo and Scudetto rivals AC Milan in their last two home games, Lazio entered the international break with a commendable 2-0 away win against Bologna.

At the beginning of last month, the Biancocelesti were in turmoil, but a return of support from fans during their victory over Milan motivated them, allowing them to carry that energy to Stadio Dall’Ara.

Kenneth Taylor emerged as the standout player of the winter transfer window, scoring a late brace to secure victory over Bologna, enabling Lazio to leap into eighth place.

While qualifying for Europe through Serie A appears improbable – as Maurizio Sarri’s squad is trailing sixth-placed Roma by 11 points – they are set to play the second leg of a Coppa Italia semi-final against Atalanta, with the first match concluding in a draw.

After registering consecutive clean sheets against Milan and Bologna, only title favorites Inter have recorded more shutouts; Lazio’s count of 14 is their second-best at this stage of a season in the 21st century.

Next, they seek to secure another clean sheet while aiming for their first four consecutive league victories since 2024, with recent encounters against Parma providing ample reason to be optimistic.

Since their 1-0 win in the reverse fixture last December, Lazio has won 11 and lost only once in their last 15 Serie A encounters.

In fact, Parma has suffered defeat in eight of their last nine trips to Rome, with the only exception being a thrilling draw towards the end of last season, where they led 2-0 until the 79th minute before conceding.

This means their last league triumph at the Olimpico against Lazio dates back to September 2009, suggesting both historical context and recent performances do not favor the visitors.

Prior to the international break, Carlos Cuesta’s squad lost to two of Serie A’s weaker sides this year, following a heavy 4-1 defeat to Torino with a disappointing 2-0 home loss against Cremonese.

Nonetheless, Parma remains on course to maintain their league status and have yet to record three consecutive defeats this season – Cuesta’s first as a senior head coach.

They have accumulated 20 points from 15 away matches thus far, with only seven teams securing more victories away from home, although they have managed a league-low total of 10 away goals.

With an advantage of seven points above the relegation zone and eight matches remaining, another victory on Saturday could be pivotal in securing Parma’s primary objective of avoiding relegation, even as their forthcoming opponents are teeming with confidence.

Team News

Lazio will be without their first-choice goalkeeper Ivan Provedel, which means young Edoardo Motta will need to step in. Captain Mattia Zaccagni is also sidelined due to a thigh injury.

Long-term absentee Samuel Gigot and playmaker Nicolo Rovella are out; however, Spanish center-back Patric may again fill in for Rovella, while Danilo Cataldi, now recovered, might start in midfield.

Toma Basic and Mario Gila are undergoing further assessments in hopes of recovering from their muscular injuries.

Daniel Maldini is the likely choice in attack over Peter Ratkov and Boulaye Dia, while top scorer Mateo Pellegrino should lead Parma’s front line, with five of his eight Serie A goals this season scored away from home.

Though Enrico Delprato can return from suspension, fellow defender Mariano Troilo will miss this match due to a one-match ban.

Matija Frigan and Benjamin Cremaschi are both unavailable, and key midfielder Adrian Bernabe’s participation is in doubt; without him, Parma’s average points per game drops by 0.5 since the start of last season.

Lazio probable starting XI:

Motta; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares; Dele-Bashiru, Patric, Taylor; Isaksen, Maldini, Pedro

Parma probable starting XI:

Suzuki; Delprato, Circati, Valenti; Britschgi, Sorensen, Keita, Valeri; Strefezza, Ondrejka; Pilgrim

Despite Parma being tricky opponents this season, they appear to be smoothly progressing towards the season’s end, with relegation appearing unlikely.

In contrast, Lazio has been gaining momentum, which could help them continue their historical success in this fixture.