First of all, I have to apologise for my lengthy absence from posting. My focus in the last few weeks has been very much on an array of essay deadlines, so I've not found the time. I do realise that regular posting is the foundation of a good blog though, so from now on will hope to keep the posting at least weekly!
So much has happened in my absence that it would take a dissertation for me to review it all, so let's just have a look at how things stand. This is the current top 8:
1.Milan | 62 |
2.Inter | 60 |
3.Napoli | 59 |
4.Udinese | 56 |
5.Lazio | 54 |
6.Roma | 50 |
7.Juventus | 45 |
8.Palermo | 43 |
For the first time this season, we have slipped out of the top 4. This is mainly down to two factors; the incredible form of Guidolin's Udinese side, and our own lame and unconvincing performances. The international break makes our last game seem very distant, but I'll remind you that it was a 1-0 win at home to struggling Cesena. I've discussed our lack of firepower before, and the situation has not improved. I think everyone at this point will be in agreement that our objective must be Champions League qualification, but we are going to need a big finish to pull that off. The good news is our rather comfortable 9-point lead over 7th placed Juventus, meaning it would take a catastrophic dip in form to completely surrender at the very least a Europa League place. But to stand any chance of playing Champions League football next season, we must get a result this Sunday in one of the toughest fixtures Serie A can offer: Napoli at the San Paolo.
This match is decisive for both sides involved. For Napoli, a win would reignite their Scudetto push, for Lazio a win would put us right back into the competition for a Champions League place. Both managers have underlined the importance of this match, and it will carry extra significance for our man Reja, who took the Vesuviani up from Serie C1 to Serie A and has not faced them as an opponent until now. The expected line-up for tomorrow is this:
Muslera, Lichtsteiner, Dias, Biava, Garrido, Brocchi, Gonzalez, Hernanes, Mauri, Sculli, Zarate
We are expected to be trying a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Brocchi playing between the lines. This may seem a little negative and defensive, but bearing in mind Napoli's devastating trio of Hamsik/Lavezzi/Cavani, it doesn't seem a bad idea, at least to begin with. My only slight worry is Zarate playing as a lone striker. I'm not convinced he has the work rate or physique to be effective in this role, but perhaps being given this opportunity will give him the confidence to pull off a big performance. I don't want to say any more on this topic, as we all know the importance of this match. Let's just hope it's our day.
FORZA LAZIO!
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