As the final Serie A weekend of the season approaches, Lazio and Roma are both battling it out for fifth, with only three points separating the intercity rivals.
Finishing fifth in the table gives either side a number of benefits, such as a higher cash reward and bragging rights over their rivals. The two teams have both undergone a year of transition, with Lazio experiencing their first year with Maurizio Sarri and Roma starting a new project with Jose Mourinho.
Should Roma win their match against Torino, they would rise to fifth in the league table, despite having a worse goal difference than Lazio. This is because Serie A’s tiebreaker is the head-to-head record, where the Giallorossi hold the advantage – The Biancocelesti won the first meeting 3-2 but lost the return match 3-0.
However, Lazio still hold the advantage. They only need to pick up a point against Hellas Verona to guarantee a fifth place finish, putting them out of reach of Roma; this may prove tougher than it appears, however, as they lost the away match against the Gialloblu 4-1.