One of the biggest games on the Italian football calendar takes place on Saturday, as arch-rivals Roma and Lazio lock horns at the Stadio Olimpico.
With eight matches remaining this season, fifth-placed Roma and seventh-placed Lazio are separated by six points in the Serie A table.
In the preview, we cover all the key stats and trends ahead of Saturday’s showdown. Continue reading to discover what Forebet’s algorithm predicts.
Let’s start by looking at the hosts, Roma, who were held to a goalless draw by Lecce on Monday, despite dominating the ball in Apulia.
Still, that result extended Roma’s unbeaten run in Serie A to six matches, with four wins and two draws coming since their last loss.
It is also worth noting that Daniele De Rossi’s men have lost just one of their previous 10 Serie A encounters, picking up seven wins and two draws along the way.
Having suffered a solitary defeat in their last 13 home league games, Roma will be confident of upsetting their bitter rivals this weekend.
Meanwhile, Lazio suffered a 2-0 defeat to Juventus in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final showdown in midweek, failing to register a single attempt on target.
The Eagles have now lost five of their last seven matches across all competitions, conceding over 1.5 goals in four of those victories.
It would not be unfair to say that Lazio have struggled for consistency of late, as they have won four and lost five of their previous nine league games.
That said, the Eagles have managed to score at least one goal in each of their last nine away league outings, so they will likely find the back of the net on Saturday.
Head-to-head: Lazio have avoided defeat in each of their last four matches against Roma, with all of those clashes producing under 1.5 goals.
It is also worth pointing out that Roma have managed to win just two of their previous 11 meetings with the Eagles across all competitions.
Team news: Rasmus Kristensen remains injured for Roma, while Evan Ndicka is suspended. There are also question marks over Sardar Azmoun and Leandro Spinazzola.
As for Lazio, Ivan Provedel is sidelined due to an ankle injury, while Manuel Lazzari, Nicolo Rovella and Mattia Zaccagni are doubts for Saturday’s clash.
Although Lazio have enjoyed plenty of success in this fixture in recent years, Roma’s impressive form at the Stadio Olimpico is difficult to ignore.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that Roma will score over 1.5 goals on their way to defeating Lazio and claiming the Rome bragging rights.