Overview
After winning a valuable point at the last minute in the dramatic draw with Fiorentina in the middle of the week, Lazio continued to maintain their excitement with a complete victory just a few days later, thereby securing their first victory in 2026.
Manuel Lazzari's cross touched someone, changed direction and flew straight into the net at the end of the second half, helping the capital team defeat Hellas Verona with a score of 1-0. These 3 points put Lazio up to nineth place in the Serie A standings.
However, with prolonged unstable performance, Maurizio Sarri's team is still looking for a second consecutive victory in the domestic league - something they have not been able to do since February 2025.
The reason partly comes from Lazio's too many draws at home. Since the beginning of last season, Biancocelesti has had 13 draws in 29 matches at Olimpico, the most in Serie A. In recent times alone, they have drawn 3 in the last 4 home matches.
More worryingly, Lazio appears inferior when facing strong opponents. Against the top 6 teams, the blue shirt team only won a meager two points and scored exactly one goal after six matches.
The top group currently includes Como - a club that only won once at the Olimpico in 1952, but now has surpassed Lazio in the Serie A standings.
After the home victory in August last year, when two key strikers Nico Paz and Tasos Douvikas both scored, Como is facing the opportunity to complete a double victory against Lazio in Serie A for the first time in history.
Only returning to the highest league in Italy from last season, the potential team from Lombardy is showing significant confidence against the representatives of Rome, as they are currently six points ahead of Lazio in the standings.
Under the leadership of Cesc Fabregas, Como once created an impressive 11-match unbeaten streak at the beginning of the season. However, recent decline in form - only winning one point in the last two matches - has gradually diminished the ambition to compete for a Champions League spot.
After the late draw against Bologna, Como continues to face a big challenge when facing AC Milan in the mid-week round at the Sinigaglia stadium.
Despite quickly taking the lead and controlling the game for most of the time, Fabregas' team could not penetrate the defense commanded by goalkeeper Mike Maignan. In the end, they suffered a 1-3 defeat to Rossoneri.
Adrien Rabiot's double in the second half hit Como's ambitions hard, causing them to lose for the first time at home this season. That result also caused the blue team to be overtaken by Roma and Juventus, while Bologna, Atalanta and Lazio closely followed right behind.
In the next round, the confrontation between Lazio and Como promises to be particularly noteworthy when the two opposing coaching schools meet. Cesc Fabregas will face tactical master Maurizio Sarri for the second time - a highly anticipated intellectual battle in Serie A.
Personnel situation
Continuing a turbulent season, in the context of facing a summer transfer ban along with a series of injuries and suspensions, Lazio has been particularly active in the winter transfer window.
Valentin Castellanos and Matteo Guendouzi have left the team, while Nuno Tavares and Matteo Cancellieri are also on their way to parting ways with Olimpico. In the opposite direction, two new signings Kenneth Taylor and Petar Ratkov both made their Serie A debuts last weekend.
On the opposite side, Como did not have a full squad when Edoardo Goldaniga, Assane Diao, Jayden Addai and Alvaro Morata were all absent.
Expected lineup:
Provedel, Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini, Vecino, Cataldi, Taylor, Isaksen, Noslin, Zaccagni.
Butez, Smolcic, Ramon, Carlos, Valle, Perrone, Da Cunha, Vojvoda, Paz, Rodriguez, Douvikas.
The match between Lazio and Como takes place at 2:45 AM on January 20 (Vietnam time).
It's a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit.
