Overview
After successively defeating Sassuolo and championship contender AC Milan at home, Lazio closed the pre-international break period with an impressive 2-0 away victory over Bologna.
Having been mired in crisis at the beginning of the month, Biancocelesti was motivated when fans ended the boycott to celebrate the victory over Milan, and they continued to maintain that excitement at Dall'Ara stadium.
The most notable signing of the winter transfer window, Kenneth Taylor, shone with a late double to help Lazio overcome Bologna, thereby climbing to eighth place in the rankings.
Although the opportunity to win a ticket to the European Cup through Serie A is still challenging - as Maurizio Sarri's team is 11 points behind AS Roma (sixth) - they still have a chance in the cup arena, with the second leg of the Coppa Italy semi-final against Atalanta coming up after the two teams drew in the first leg.
After 2 consecutive clean sheets against Milan and Bologna, Lazio currently has 14 clean sheets - a record only behind Inter Milan and their second best in the same period in the 21st century.
The next goal of the capital team is to extend their streak of form with a fourth consecutive victory in Serie A - something they have not done since 2024. And recent head-to-head results against Parma provide a lot of basis for confidence.
Including the 1-0 victory in the first leg in December, Lazio has won 11 and only lost 1 in the last 15 encounters with Parma in Serie A.
In fact, Parma has lost 8 of their last 9 away games in Rome, except for the dramatic draw at the end of last season. This is a match where they once led 2-0 until the 79th minute but could not maintain the advantage.
The last time Parma defeated Lazio at the Olimpico stadium in Serie A was in September 2009, showing that both history and form did not favor the away team.
Before the international holiday, Carlos Cuesta's team continuously disappointed when losing to two opponents struggling in the bottom group, including a 1-4 defeat to Torino and a 0-2 home defeat to Cremonese.
However, Parma is still on the journey to stay in the league and has never lost 3 consecutive matches in Serie A this season - something that has not happened since Cuesta took over.
This team has won 20 points after 15 away matches, with only 7 less wins, even though they have only scored a meager 10 goals - the lowest in the league.
With 8 rounds left in the season and 7 points ahead of the relegation group, another victory could help Parma get closer to their relegation goal. However, their opponent is currently in very high form.
Personnel situation
Lazio is still missing their number one goalkeeper Ivan Provedel, so young goalkeeper Edoardo Motta will continue to start. Meanwhile, captain Mattia Zaccagni has not yet been able to return due to a thigh injury.
Samuel Gigot and creative midfielder Nicolo Rovella continue to be unable to play. Spanish center-back Patric is likely to be used again to replace him, while Danilo Cataldi has recovered and is ready to start in midfield.
In attack, Daniel Maldini is often given priority over Peter Ratkov and Boulaye Dia.
On Parma's side, the attack is expected to be led by key striker Mateo Pellegrino, who has scored 8 goals in Serie A this season, including 5 away goals.
Although Enrico Delprato may return after suspension, his teammate in defense Mariano Troilo will be absent due to a one-match ban.
Expected lineup:
Lazio: Motta, Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares, Dele-Bashiru, Patric, Taylor, Isaksen, Maldini, Pedro.
Parma: Suzuki, Delprato, Circati, Valenti, Britschgi, Sorensen, Keita, Valeri, Strefezza, Ondrejka, Pellegrino.
The match between Lazio and Parma takes place at 1:45 am on April 5 (Vietnam time).
