Lazio 2022-23 Season Preview: Sarri’s New-Look Side in Race for Top Four

With eight new signings arriving this summer, a new-look Lazio side are ready to embark on the 2022-23 campaign under Maurizio Sarri, keen to fight for Champions League qualification.

The winds of change have provided some relief to the heat in the streets of the Eternal City this summer. Claudio Lotito, Igli Tare and Sarri have worked hard to rejuvenate and revitalise the squad, kicking off a new cycle as the team look to take things up a level.

Lazio in the Transfer Market

A number of familiar faces departed this summer; Luiz Felipe, Thomas Strakosha, Lucas Leiva and Pepe Reina all left on free transfers, Jony and Gonzalo Escalante were sent away on loan and Vedat Muriqi and Denis Vavro were both sold in definitive transfers. 

To replace them, Lazio brought in multiple fresh faces, breathing some new life into the squad and giving Sarri players more suitable to his electric 4-3-3 system. Luis Maximiano, Marcos Antonio, Nicolo Casale, Mario Gila, Ivan Provedel, Alessio Romagnoli, Matias Vecino and Matteo Cancellieri were all added to the team.

The new-look Lazio side will likely take a little time to settle as Sarri’s system usually requires an adaption period, but things are looking exciting in the blue and white half of the Italian capital.

Possible Lazio Line-ups:

Option 1: Maximiano; Lazzari, Romagnoli, Casale, Marusic; Milinkovic-Savic, Marcos Antonio, Luis Alberto; Pedro, Immobile, Felipe Anderson.

Option 2: Provedel; Lazzari, Romagnoli, Gila, Marusic; Milinkovic-Savic, Cataldi, Vecino; Zaccagni, Immobile, Cancellieri.

Option 3: Maximiano; Marusic, Casale, Gila, Hysaj; Milinkovic-Savic, Marcos Antonio, Vecino; Zaccagni, Cancellieri, Felipe Anderson.

The Key Games:

  • 26th August – Lazio vs Inter
  • 3rd September – Lazio vs Napoli
  • 6th November – Roma vs Lazio
  • 13th November – Juventus vs Lazio
  • 22nd January 2023 – Lazio vs Milan
  • 5th March – Napoli vs Lazio
  • 19th March – Lazio vs Roma
  • 9th April – Lazio vs Juventus
  • 30th April – Inter vs Lazio
  • 7th May – Milan vs Lazio

Can Lazio secure a top four finish?

Last season Lazio finished 5th in the Serie A table, only six points behind 4th place Juventus. Considering that it was Sarri’s first season in the Italian capital, this was an incredibly positive debut year for the new project.

The team have done well in the transfer market, rejuvenating the squad and adding a number of players who appear to be good fits for the fluid 4-3-3 system on display in Rome. Looking at Lazio in isolation, everything is looking good for a top four push.

However, things are not so simple in Serie A. Whilst Lazio have improved, so have their opposition at the top of the table, and the top four spots are starting to look incredibly crowded.

Both Milan and Inter are almost guaranteed to finish somewhere in the top four, and Juventus are also likely to grind out a spot with Massimiliano Allegri at the helm. This essentially leaves one spot left for either Lazio, Roma or Napoli.

The Partenopei have had an interesting summer, losing mainstays like Kalidou Koulibaly, Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne. They’ve brought in younger options like Kim Min-Jae, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Mathías Olivera to replace them, suggesting that it’ll be a year of transition for Luciano Spalletti.

Roma could represent Lazio’s biggest challengers in the race for a top four finish. The Giallorossi have added multiple proven winners to their squad, picking up Paulo Dybala, Nemanja Matic and Georginio Wijnaldum. If Jose Mourinho can maintain momentum throughout the season, it may be too tough a task for Sarri and his new-look squad.

Whilst Lazio have added a number of exciting additions to the squad, history suggests that Sarri’s system needs time to be properly implemented by fresh players, so inconsistent form seems fairly likely.

Lazio’s predicted final position: 5th with 66 points – 19 wins, nine draws, 10 losses.

Tags Biancocelesti Italy Lazio Maurizio Sarri Rome Sarri Serie A

2 Comments

  1. I totally agree with the your prediction. Whilst obviously every Lazio fan would love us to be challenging for the scudetto etc. and who knows we possibly could, we have to think and remember this is a project for Lolitto and Sarri so there could be 3-0, 4-0 losses this season as the new players and old familiarise themselves into how Sarri wants his team to play. This may not be the season everything comes together but my trust is in Sarri and thanks to Lolitto Lazio are getting a decent spine to the team and this project could yield fine results

  2. If Napoli is in a year of transition the same must apply for Lazio who has lost just as many starters. Also, Lazio massively overperformed on expected goals last season so there is no way that Lazio will achieve more points this season. That is simply not realistic. A 6-8th finish is to be expected.

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