Homegrown Lazio talent Danilo Cataldi is wearing the captain’s armband in the Derby della Capitale with Roma. ‘Anyone who lives in this city know what this game means.’
It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 17.00 GMT.
There is only one point separating these teams going into the Derby della Capitale, and whoever wins will either leapfrog Atalanta into third place or catch them on 27 points.
“We need everything, in a game like this we need tactics, technique, emotion, determination,” Cataldi told Lazio Style Radio.
“It is not even necessary to talk about this match, because it prepares itself. Anyone who lives in this city knows what this game means.”
Lazio are missing injured Ciro Immobile – although he is sitting on the bench anyway to be close to his teammates – and suspended Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
“We need to give something more and cannot use the alibi of missing two key players, even if they are fundamental figures for us. We’ve got to use those absences as motivation to bring more out of ourselves and this is the perfect match to do that.”
Missing the two first-choice captains means Cataldi takes over the armband for this most special of matches.
“Having the armband on is an important responsibility, I am happy and honoured to wear it in a game like this. I will try to do my best to pass on that desire to win and what this match means for us.”