Preview : Lazio - Chievo

The crisis that hit these clubs before Christmas seems to have subsided and both will be confident of emerging from this match with something.

Delio Rossi was set for the sack after a string of two points from six games, but has now notched up four consecutive victories including a Coppa Italia semi-final triumph over Juventus.

In Serie A alone the defence has clearly found its feet, keeping three straight clean sheets, while the strikers are balancing each other out nicely. Mauro Zarate bagged a brace to beat Bologna 2-0 and a week later Tommaso Rocchi came off the bench to do the same in Naples. Is it Goran Pandev’s turn this time?

Chievo were propping up the table not too long ago, but Domenico Di Carlo has hit his stride and they are joint third from bottom with Torino. The key to avoiding relegation appears to be picking up points on a regular basis, which the Flying Donkeys have certainly been doing consistently with just one defeat in their last 10. Granted, only three of those have been wins, but for a team that at one stage lost six on the trot, that is a vast improvement.

They already caused an upset in their last away match, conquering Atalanta’s Stadio Azzurri d’Italia where Inter had been hammered, and were leading at Fiorentina before a controversial last-minute strike turned it around. Luciano is injured for this trip, but Vincenzo Italiano could get a start after pressure from the fans to pick the midfielder with the thunderbolt shot. It’s a return for Stephen Makinwa, who left Lazio in the summer.

Rossi has said the trickiest part of his job is choosing which of the three strikers to bench in every game. He has a tough decision, as Zarate scored two in his last home match – breaking a two-month drought – and veteran Rocchi repeated the trick at the San Paolo.

There is always the option of fielding both together with Pandev on the sidelines, as Pasquale Foggia is doing extremely well in a supporting role. Mourad Meghni, Ousmane Dabo, Mobido Diakhitè and Simone Del Nero remain injury doubts.

Keep an eye on: Tommaso Rocchi (Lazio) – It says something about the strength of this side that a forward who scores two goals is not guaranteed a spot in the starting XI the next week. Rocchi came off the bench at Napoli to get that brace and so is a danger no matter how long he’s on the field for.

Last season: Not played
Form guide: Lazio (L D W W W) Chievo (D D L W D)

Lazio (probable): Muslera; Lichtsteiner, Siviglia, Cribari, Kolarov; Brocchi, Ledesma, Matuzalem; Foggia; Rocchi, Pandev

Chievo (probable): Sorrentino; Frey, Morero, Yepes, Mantovani; Rigoni, Italiano, Marcolini; Pinzi; Pellissier, Makinwa