Overview
Despite the difficulties, Lazio still won all 3 points at Parma's Stadio Tardini in the previous round. Notably, they have only 9 players left on the field after captain Mattia Zaccagni and midfielder Toma Basic were respectively sent off.
In a disadvantage in terms of numbers, Biancocelesti still showed their mettle when they found the decisive goal in the final minutes thanks to a goal by reserve striker Tijjani Noslin.
After eliminating AC Milan from the Coppa Italia and holding Bologna to a 1-1 draw, coach Maurizio Sarri's team had a positive start to December and is currently in eighth place in the Serie A rankings.
Goalkeeper Ivan Provedel has kept 8 clean sheets - the most in the league this season - and is also his best achievement at this stage since the 2022-2023 season, during Sarri's first term. Lazio are therefore increasingly known for their resilience and bravery in playing style.
That power is often clearly shown at home at Stadio Olimpico, where the capital team has only lost one of the 8 matches since the beginning of the season and won 5 victories.
In the past, Lazio also had an outstanding head-to-head record against their opponents this week at home, with 7 wins and 1 draw in their encounters in Rome.
On the other hand, Cremonese rarely have successful trips to the capital. The team has never kept a clean sheet in 12 visits to Olimpico in Serie A against both Lazio and Roma, losing 10 matches and winning only once, 32 years ago.
However, Grigiorossi are having a pretty good start to their Serie A return season after being promoted through the play-off round last season. Currently in 11th place with 20 points, after notable victories over Milan and Bologna, coach Davide Nicola's team is on the right track in the relegation race.
However, after a streak of 9 losses in the first 9 matches, Cremonese have declined when they lost 4 of their last 6 matches, including a 0-1 defeat to Torino in the previous round. In that match, the striker duo Jamie Vardy and Federico Bonazzoli could not score, as the Lombardy team only had 3 shots on target.
However, Cremonese's away record is still quite impressive for a newly promoted side, with 11 points so far. However, this away trip to Olimpico promises to be their biggest challenge since the beginning of the season.
Personnel situation
In the context of being limited by a transfer ban and a series of absences, Maurizio Sarri even joked that Lazio could play with 10 players this weekend. Especially after the winning achievement even though there were only 9 players on the field in the previous round.
Toma Basic is currently suspended for 2 matches, while captain Mattia Zaccagni is also suspended from this round. In addition, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Boulaye Dia will be absent due to their trip to the African Cup.
The visitors will also be without a midfielder for disciplinary reasons, with Martin Payero suspended for one match after receiving enough yellow cards.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Sarmiento, Alberto Grassi and Michele Collocolo are still undergoing injury treatment at Cremonese. On the contrary, Matteo Bianchetti and Mikayil Faye are both ready to return to play in the near future.
Expected lineup:
Lazio: Provedel, Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini, Guendouzi, Cataldi, Vecino, Cancellieri, Castellanos, Noslin.
Cremonese: Audero, Terracciano, Baschirotto, Bianchetti, Barbieri, Zerbin, Bondo, Vandeputte, Pezzella, Bonazzoli, Vardy.
The match between Lazio and Cremonese takes place at 0:00 am on December 21 (Vietnam time).
