Ranieri ready to rule Rome but Lazio no pushover
Claudio Ranieri will be looking to put a smile on the faces of Roma fans but Lazio is expected to provide a tough test in the Derby Della Capitale as it chases title glory in Serie A.
Napoli took back top spot in Italy's top flight after a 3-0 win at Fiorentina with Atalanta and Inter Milan both unable to win points as they played int he Italian Supercoppa.
Lazio, currently in fourth place on 35 points, nine adrift of the lead, is looking to keep pace with those above it, but for Roma, it would love nothing more than to extinguish the ever diminishing hopes of a first title for Lazio in a quarter of a century.
However, it's been a difficult season for Roma, with Ranieri trying to steady the ship after a disatrous spell for former coach Ivan Juric.
Lazio's form has also been far from consistent, but it has taken points off both Napoli and Atalanta in the past month.
That somewhat papers over the fact it has won just twice in Serie A since the beginning of December, and a 6-0 home hammering by Inter Milan showed how vulnerable it can be at the back.
Roma has accrued seven points in the six matches under 73-year-old Ranieri, who came out of retirement in November to take the reins again at the Giallorossi, but recent form for the team has been good, as it has been for star man Paulo Dybala, who has scored three goals in the last two matches.
"It makes us happy because when Paulo is in this sort of form it's worth paying the price of the ticket to see a footballer with that star quality," Ranieri said ahead of the derby.
"The derby is a completely different prospect to anything else," he added.
"The derby is... well, the derby."
Lazio coach Marco Baroni is also more than aware of the importance of a game that consumes Italy's capital and fires up every emotion imagineable for the followers of both teams.
"We will approach the game in good spirits and well prepared for a match that we know really counts," he said.
"I do not have to transmit a message to the team, we simply have to work hard at training."
Lazio captain Mattia Zaccagni also desperately wants to deliver victory for his side's fans.
"We know what the derby represents, victory is our goal, it is the only thing that counts, we want to bring joy to our tifosi," he said.
"They push us to perform our best on the pitch, we feel their trust, it is something unique."
