The last time Lazio led Roma ahead of a Derby dello Capitale was 2000, a factoid that gives some perspective on the strange days being lived-out in this season’s Serie A. For us fogies who are growing older, 2000 seems like eons ago, far beyond the big three dominance of the aughts. That was one of two seasons since Sampdoria’s 1990-1991 scudetto where the league was won by somebody beyond Internazionale, Juventus and Milan. There was hope for change when Lazio and Roma brought in the decade with two Rome titles. The last eight seasons, however, reversed that short-lived trend, making Lazio’s perch atop this year’s table a refreshing anachronism.
Italian Serie A, Week 10 Preview: It’s A Rare Derby Dello Capitale That Sees Lazio Leading Roma, Let Alone Italy
We’ve covered Lazio’s surge here and here, but we’ve spent little time talking about the season’s second biggest story: the struggles of the Giallorossi. We thought Roma would slip, but we didn’t anticipate they would look as poor as they have. They’ve yet to win away from the Stadio Olimpico, and although they deserve credit for downing Internazionale there, they have also lost at Brescia and Calgiari. A scoreless draw at Parma on their last trip out of Rome did little to comfort Romanistas. Lucky for them, Roma won’t have to leave the capital on Sunday, playing their bonus home match against their Olimpico co-tenants.
Despite their recent surge away from the bottom, it's still worth asking why Roma has stumbled. Given they've only scored nine goals in as many matches, the obvious place to look is attack. Adriano, brought back to Italy from Flamengo, has been a bust, meaning they haven't found the physical presence to replace the departed Luca Toni. Marco Boriello's been a good stop gap, but his team leading goal total is less testament to his prowess than other's failures. Those failures include captain Francisco Totti, whose recent (mild) improvement belies a retirement-worthy start to the season.
Perhaps the biggest loss is Mirko Vucinic, though ironically, he hasn't missed that many matches. While he's only started four times, Vucinic's two substitute's appearances mean he's appeared in two out of every three league matches. Regardless, he hasn't been healthy, and given the role he had in last season's scudetto push, it's difficult to imagine the Giallorossi making a title run without their best player fully fit. With the wane of Totti and the absence of Adriano, Vucinic is the only Roma player who can create scoring opportunities where they don't otherwise exist. For a team that may also be experiencing the downturns of Simone Perrotta, Julio Baptista and Rodrigo Taddei, there is a new urgency to find players who can create on their own.
Still, let’s imagine a world where Roma beats Lazio this weekend. In a derby of this nature (where the maxim “the form guide goes out the window” might apply), Roma getting three would shock nobody. That would leave them seven points back of league-leading Lazio, and the league hasn’t even hit its quarter pole. Considering the second half Ranieri, Vucinic, Daniele de Rossi and John Arne Risse orchestrated last season, Roma could yet be contenders.
Elsewhere On The Peninsula
Wound-licking Internazionale fends off nightmares of Welsh tyrants when they host Brescia on Saturday. Against the promotees, the Nerazzurri can afford to rest to Esteban Cambiasso (hamstring) and Julio César (hamstring). Rafa Benítez may even be able to stop riding Samuel Eto'o so hard. There is a Diego Milito gathering dust on the bench.
Also on Saturday, relegation-embattled Bologna hosts Lecce, with the defending Serie B champions sitting a surprising 12th. Don’t expect that to last, though. Lecce is tied for the league’s worst goal difference: -8.
Bari is the other team with a -8 difference, surprising considering the troubles that gave last year’s league. On Sunday they host third-place Milan, who will be looking to recover from last week’s loss to Juventus. The Old Lady hosts another relegation embattled when Cesena visits Turin.
Also on Sunday: Fiorentina, having climbed out of the relegation zone, hosts Chievo; fifth place Napoli hopes to continue their strong start when they host Parma in Naples; European hopefuls Sampdoria (7th), Udinese (8th) and Palermo (10th) are all at home, facing Catania (14th), Cagliari (13th), and Genoa (11th), respectively.
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