Serie A Preview: Bologna-Lazio
Bologna - Lazio | News Archive
Claudio Lopez and Lazio must save what is left to be saved (Allsport)
04/26/2002. Against all odds, Lazio are back in the hunt for a Champions League spot. A very disappointing season can still be saved at the last gasp, even if it will fall short of expectations.
And let's face it: the fourth Champions League berth should go to Chievo, who truly deserve it, if only for the moments of pure ecstasy they gave us earlier this season, when Eriberto and Manfredini looked like they were coming from outer space.
In comparison, Lazio have always looked sluggish and bored. And boring, of course. With Diego Pablo Simeone out all season, nobody has been able to spur this bunch of lazy millionaires to victory with decent consistency.
Yet thanks to their CL contenders' very erratic form, Lazio have been able to claw their way back up to the higher quarters of the table. What a change from the days after the 1-5 derby destruction by Air Montella and Roma. Some even spoke of relegation…
With the future still in the balance as Sergio Cragnotti has not signed a single player – or sold one of his team – a spot in next year's CL would look very sexy indeed to disgruntled players hungry for European glory. Bordeaux's Pauleta is a case in point…
How about Bologna? They have had a superb season by their own standards. Now their somewhat poorer form pushed them further adrift of the 4th place, which is a shame, as they looked to have booked their ticket for next season's CL well in advance.
Coach Francesco Guidolin gave a very simple and understandable explanation for it all: his players are toast! He must be angry to see that his team's slump coincided with Beppe Signori's return to action.
TEAM NEWS
In Friday's training session, it appeared Zaccardo was going to be given a role in Sunday's match against Lazio. The Rossoblù rising star scored in Rome's first leg to give Bologna a point. Behind strikers Beppe Signori and Julio Ricardo Cruz, midfielders Fabio Pecchia and Lamberto Zauli are in contention for a supporting place, whereas former Udinese ace Tomas Locatelli will be sitting on the bench and could come in the second half.
Alberto Zaccheroni could be coaching Lazio for the last time but one on Sunday. In any case, he will be looking to extend his team's good run to seven games without a defeat. He won't be able to rely on suspended Jaap Stam, nor on Sinisa Mihajlovic. After scoring in his comeback last week, Hernan Crespo should be featured from the start alongside fellow Argentine Claudio Lopez. Want-away Karel Poborsky will lose his place to Castroman on the right wing.
PROBABLES
Bologna (3-4-2-1): 1 Pagliuca, 19 Falcone, 8 Fresi, 5 Castellini, 7 Nervo, 25 Brighi, 4 Olive, 23 Tarantino, 24 Pecchia, 10 Signori, 9 Cruz
On the bench:12 Coppola, 16 Gamberini, 6 Brioschi, 3 Wome, 2 Zaccardo, 30 Zauli, 11 Bellucci
Unavailable: Cipriani, Locatelli, Macellari
Lazio (4-4-2): 70 Peruzzi; 15 Pancaro, 13 Nesta, 24 Couto, 19 Favalli; 26 Castroman, 16 Giannichedda, 28 Liverani, 5 Stankovic; 10 Crespo, 7 Lopez
On the bench: 1 Marchegiani, 18 *****, 3 Cesar, 14 Simeone, 20 Fiore, 8 Poborski, 21 S. Inzaghi
Suspended: Stam
Unavailable: Comazzi, De La Pena e Mihajlovic
soccerage