16.10. (Sun) 20:45 Lazio - Roma

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PROBABLE LINEUPS

LAZIO Marchetti Konko, Biava, Dias, Radu  Gonzalez, Brocchi, Ledesma Hernanes Cisse, Klose

ROMA  Stekelenburg Rosi, Burdisso, Heinze, Jose Angel Perrotta, De Rossi, Simplicio Bojan, Osvaldo, Pjanic

Matuzalem and Simone Del Nero are the only major injury doubts for Lazio, as German striker Miroslav Klose is expected to be passed fit to take part in the match. The 33-year-old striker is anticipated to maintain his partnership with Djibril Cisse in attack.

Talismanic figure Francesco Totti heads the list of absentees for Roma, with the legendary attacker missing out through injury. David Pizarro, Bogdan Lobont and Stefano Okaka are also carrying physical problems and will not take part in the contest.

Luis Enrique's charges have won their last two Serie A matches, and will look to extend their recent unbeaten run against their city rivals, which extends to four matches.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Lazio have netted more than 2.5 goals in 80 per cent of their fixtures so far this season.

• Their last victory in the derby fixture came in April 2009, when they recorded a 4-2 victory.

• Edy Reja's men have recorded two league wins this season, the last of which was an impressive 2-1 triumph away to Fiorentina.

• Luis Enrique's Roma failed to win their first five competitive matches this season, but collected victories in their last two outings versus Parma and Atalanta.

• Roma have struggled for goals so far this season, being involved in fixtures involving under 2.5 goals 60% of the time.

• Roma have collected victories in the last four derby outings, and four of their last six goals in the fixture have came from the penalty spot.

Prediction

Roma have the form in the fixture, having won the four previous outings, but Lazio will be out to bring that run to an end, and a draw could be the likely outcome.

Editor's Prediction

Lazio 1-1 Roma

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16.10. (Sun) 15:00 Chievo Verona - Juventus

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PROBABLE LINEUPS

CHIEVO Sorrentino Sardo, Morero, Cesar, Jokic Bradley, Rigoni, Hetemaj Cruzado Pellissier, Moscardelli

JUVENTUS  Buffon Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini Pirlo, Marchisio Krasic, Del Piero, Vucinic, Pepe

Chievo coach Domenico Di Carlo is expected to go with the same starting XI that drew 0-0 with Cesena in their last fixture before the international break after the players who represented their countries - Alberto Paloschi (Italy Under-21), Bojan Jokic and Bostjan Cesar (both Slovenia), Kamil Vacek (Czech Republic), Rinaldo Cruzado (Peru) and Michael Bradley (USA) - were all given a clean bill of health.

The Verona-based side's only doubt is veteran Brazilian midfielder Luciano, who is still struggling with an injury to his right thigh muscle.

Antonio Conte, on the other hand, is likely to make tweaks to both his personnel and his formation. After utilising a 4-1-4-1 formation in the 2-0 victory over AC Milan, the Bianconeri boss looks set to revert to his trademark 4-2-4 formation, with Alessandro Del Piero replacing Arturo Vidal in the side and partnering Mirko Vucinic in attack.

The coach has also received positive news on the injury front in that Claudio Marchisio has shaken off a sprain suffered on international duty. The in-form midfielder fired Italy into an early lead against Serbia but had to be replaced on the 70-minute mark due to the knock. However, he has since said: “I’m alright, it’s a little sprain, but it hasn’t even swollen up. I'm in good shape."

Elsewhere, Emanuele Giaccherini, while not expected to start, discovered that a training-ground injury was not a muscle tear as first feared, but a minor inflammation which would only keep him out of a few practice sessions.

Left-back Paolo De Ceglie could also be available after working extensively to shake off a muscle strain. However, it seems likely that Conte will continue with Giorgio Chiellini in the full-back position after his performance there against Milan.

Two players who definitely look to be ruled out are Frederik Sorensen and Vincenzo Iaquinta. The Danish defender underwent surgery on a fractured nose on October 10 and returned to training the following day with the support of a protective mask, while the experienced striker is still to fully recover from a thigh strain.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Chievo have won only one of their 16 Serie A meetings with Juventus. The Bianconeri have won 11 and there have been four draws.

• However, the Flying Donkeys are actually undefeated in the three most recent fixtures between the sides.

• While Juventus have received plenty of plaudits and praise for their start to the season, Chievo are just three points behind and could move level with their opponents should they win.

• Sunday's hosts are unbeaten at home this season after four competitive games at Stadio Bentegodi.

• On a similar note, Juventus remain undefeated in the league this season after five fixtures.

• The run also stretches back into the previous campaign, as the Old Lady have suffered just one reverse in their past 15 matches: a defeat to Parma in May.

• Claudio Marchisio (pictured) is his side's top scorer with three goals so far, which is just one less than he managed in all of 2010-11.

• Long-term injury victim Fabio Quagliarella last scored for Juventus in the corresponding fixture last season, which finished in a 1-1 draw on December 19, 2010.

Prediction

With both teams in reasonable early-season form this could be a tight match - but, in Andrea Pirlo, Juventus have a man who could make the difference, and his craft could help his side create the one opportunity needed to eke out a narrow victory.

Editor's Prediction

Chievo 0-1 Juventus

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Serie A Round 7 Preview

		Sunday OCTOBER 16	KO
		Cesena - Fiorentina	1230
		Novara - Bologna	1500
		Genoa - Lecce	1500
		Chievo - Juventus	1500
		Cagliari - Siena	1500
		Atalanta - Udinese	1500
all times in CET		Lazio -  Roma	2045

Cesena

vs

Fiorentina

PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Ravaglia Ceccarelli, Von Bergen, Rodriguez, Lauro Parolo, Guana, Candreva, Ghezzal Eder, Mutu		Boruc Cassani, Gamberini, Natali, Pasqual Behrami, Montolivo, Lazzari Cerci, Santiago Silva, Jovetic
TEAM NEWS
A mounting injury list for the under-pressure Marco Giampaolo, who will be without Gianluca Comotto, Jorge Martinez and Giuseppe Colucci, meaning Luca Ceccarelli and Abdelkader Ghezzal come in. Despite ending a run of four straight defeats and picking up their first point of the season against Chievo, Cesena are still enduring their worst ever start to a Serie A campaign. Cesena have won just twice in 22 meetings with Fiorentina.		Alberto Gilardino and Per Kroldrup remain on the sidelines for the forseeable future, while Andrea Lazzari is likely to replace Juan Vargas in midfield. Fiorentina have won just three times away from home in 21 matches under Sinisa Mihajlovic's reign. However, they are unbeaten in their past nine meetings against Cesena, winning six.

Novara

vs

Bologna

PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Ujkani Dellafiore, Ludi, Paci, Gemiti Marianini, Porcari, Rigoni Pinardi Meggiorini, Granoche		Agliardi Raggi, Portanova, Cherubin, Morleo Mudingayi, Perez, Kone Diamanti Di Vaio, Acquafresca
TEAM NEWS
Andrea Lisuzzo, Andrea Mazzarani and Luigi Giorgi face late fitness tests, after missing the 3-3 draw with Catania. Novara have won just five out of 24 previous meetings with Bologna, all being on home soil. Novara boast the best attack of this Serie A campaign, with 10 goals scored, but possess the league's second-worst defensive record by conceding as many.		Diego Perez is suspended, while Jean-Francois Gillet, Mikael Antonsson, Saphir Taider, Jose Angel Crespo are all out of contention with injury. Federico Casarini is also a doubt. Bologna's run of just one point in five games cost Pierpaolo Bisolo his job, as Stefano Pioli set to take charge of his first match. The visitors have not tasted victory in 14 Serie A games, and are also the only side in the league yet to score from open play.

Genoa

vs

Lecce

PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Frey Rossi, Dainelli, Kaladze, Moretti Merkel, Veloso, Kucka Jorquera Palacio, Caracciolo		Benassi Oddo, Tomovic, Esposito, Mesbah Obodo, Giacomazzi Cuadrado, Bertolacci, Pasquato Ofere
TEAM NEWS
Juraj Kucka's participation is touch-and-go with an ankle complaint, but Ze Eduardo and Giandomenico Mesto are still on the sidelines. Genoa have won five consecutive matches against with Lecce, scoring three goals per game on average. Despite recent defeats to Chievo and Parma, the Grifoni remain unbeaten in their last six home games, with five wins and a draw.		David Di Michele, Julio Sergio, Stefano Ferrario, Davide Petrachi and Souleymane Diamoutene are all unavailable. Lecce have won only once at the Marassi in 15 attempts - a 1-0 victory on September 13, 1998, along with nine defeats. They have shared the spoils only once in their last 10 games away from home.

Chievo

vs

Juventus

Juventus have the chance to make it six matches unbeaten in Serie A and remain top of the pile with a victory at the Bentegodi on Sunday. However, they visit a Chievo side who have lost just once so far and have not been beaten on home soil domestically since Domenico Di Carlo's return to the helm. A full preview of this fixture can be found here.

  

Cagliari

vs

Siena

PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Agazzi Pisano, Canini, Astori, Agostini Biondini, Conti, Nainggolan Cossu Larrivey, Thiago Ribeiro		Brkic Vitiello, Rossettini, Terzi, Rossi Mannini, D’Agostino, Gazzi, Reginaldo Calaio, Brienza
TEAM NEWS
Moestafa El Kabir and Sebastian Eriksson remain unavailable for selection. Cagliar have won just one of their last five games with Siena. Despite losing just once this campaign, in a 3-2 reverse to Palermo, and winning three so far, they have won only one of their last seven games in Sardinia.		Francesco Bolzoni, Nicola Belmonte and Gennaro Troianiello have been ruled out for Siena. The Tuscan outfit have failed to score in three of their five Serie A encounters so far. Striker Emanuele Calaio has struck four of Siena's last six goals against Cagliari in domestic matters.

Atalanta

vs

Udinese

PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Consigli Masiello, Capelli, Manfredini, Peluso Schelotto, Cigarini, Brighi, Padoin Moralez Denis		Handanovic Benatia, Danilo, Domizzi Basta, Isla, Pinzi, Asamoah, Armero Torje Di Natale
TEAM NEWS
Ferreira Pinto and Leonardo Pettinari are Atalanta's only confirmed absentees. They have won only one of their last nine home matches against Udinese, losing four in the process. Atalanta suffered their first defeat of the season to Roma a fortnight ago, following a run of three wins and a draw.		Paulo Barreto and Giovanni Pasquale are still on the comeback trail for Udinese. Francesco Guidolin's side are unbeaten in their last eight Serie A games, contributing to their current second-place position. The Friulani currently possess the best defence in Serie A, conceding just once so far this season and accumulating six clean sheets in their last seven league games.

Lazio

vs

Roma

The capital derby between Edy Reja's Lazio and Luis Enrique's Roma takes place on Sunday night, with kick-off at 2045 CET.

A full preview of the fixture can be found here.

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