Sampdoria - Lazio- 3/9/07 (1:30 TW)
http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0708/sam-laz.html
Serie A Week 2 Sampdoria - Lazio- 2/9/07 (19.30 UK)
Stadio Ferraris
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It may only be Week 2, but this Stadio Luigi Ferraris encounter between
Sampdoria and Lazio could prove so important in the race for European football.
There is an air of quiet confidence radiating from the Blucerchiati faithful
after a pre-season of big changes. New boss Walter Mazzarri is exactly the
right man to put an end to the agonising mediocrity of recent times and a
Week 1 win away to Siena was the perfect demonstration.
A year ago Doria would undoubtedly have followed a refreshing victory on
their travels with a no-show at home, now Mazzarri’s task is to instil
consistency in a side that so regularly flatter to deceive. If Samp are to
meet their summer objective of European football they must take maximum
points in games like this.
Momentum can be a fickle force in football. The Biancocelesti have suffered
a miserable start to the campaign with a glut of injuries and were held by
Torino in their opener as they fretted about a midweek trip to Bucharest.
Now, after a heroic fight-back in Romania to secure Champions League football,
Coach Delio Rossi’s men will feel the belief flooding back ahead of this
tough test. However, the injury crisis hasn’t dissipated and a draw would
be far from disastrous if the Aquile pick up all three at home to Empoli in
Week 3.
While there is a good case for dividing the points, the two sides haven’t
shared the spoils in their last six meetings and will each feel they have
the upper hand.
The hosts are almost certain to stick with the 3-4-3 formation that Mazzarri
has such fondness for. Cristian Zenoni and Christian Maggio are vying for the
right wing role, but the squad looks thin in other areas. Pietro Accardi,
Emiliano Bonazzoli, Daniele Gastaldello and Mirko Pieri make up a daunting
injury list. There will be no debut for Antonio Cassano yet, but fellow
summer signing Vincenzo Montella is set to take a seat on the bench.
Rossi can be expected to call upon 19-year-old defender Lorenzo Di Silvestri
to make only his fourth Serie A appearance after he shone against Dinamo
Bucharest. Guglielmo Stendardo, Sebastiano Siviglia, Stefano Mauri and
Aleksandar Kolarov are all still sidelined and are joined by French stopper
Mobido Diakhite, who fractured a tibia last weekend.
Regardless of whether Uruguayan goalkeeping starlet Fernando Musiera signs,
43-year-old Marco Ballotta is favourite to start between the posts.
Keep an eye on: Tommaso Rocchi (Lazio) – Dependable striker was the hero
in Europe with a timely brace and also opened his Serie A account last weekend. A third successive 16-goal haul is on the cards.
Last season: Sampdoria 2-0 Lazio
Form guide: Sampdoria (- - - - W) Lazio (- - - - D)
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Sampdoria (probable): Castellazzi; Campagnaro, Sala, Lucchini; Zenoni,
Palombo, Volpi, Ziegler; Delvecchio, Bellucci, Caracciolo
Lazio (probable): Ballotta; De Silvestri, Scaloni, Cribari, Zauri;
Mudingayi, Ledesma, Mutarelli, Del Nero; Pandev, Rocchi
Ref: To follow...
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