Lazio are second in Serie A, but Maurizio Sarri continues to insist ‘there are superior squads’ in the race for a top four finish. ‘Do we want to be better than Roma or one of the best teams in Italy?’
They visit mid-table Monza on Sunday at 14.00 UK time (13.00 GMT).
Adam Marusic is suspended, but Ciro Immobile is back in the squad and could potentially even start after a month out with recurring muscular problems.
The Biancocelesti flew into second place thanks to their victory over rivals Roma, yet their coach is doing everything he can to dampen down enthusiasm.
“The derby doesn’t give us an advantage against Monza, that will still be a very difficult match. We need a spirit of sacrifice and humility,” said Sarri in his press conference.
“I have always said there are superior squads to ours, overall. I see teams like Atalanta, who against Empoli were able to introduce Jeremie Boga, Rasmus Hojlund and Ademola Lookman from the bench. Having said that, we will continue to fight and see how it ends.
“The Champions League might be a responsibility for some clubs with better resources, but for us it remains an opportunity.
“Our current position in the table is almost symbolic, because we recovered a lot of points over the last five games, so I think of what might happen in the next 11 rounds. Juventus lost at Monza and Inter were held to a draw, so we need to focus on this game.
“Raffaele Palladino is one of the most intriguing coaches, he manages to take an Atalanta-style defence with a Pep Guardiola-inspired passing strategy.”
Consistency has always been an issue for Sarri’s Lazio, who tend to raise their game against the big clubs and then immediately drop points in fixtures that ought to be easier on paper.
“I always tell my team, do we want to be better than Roma or one of the best teams in Italy? We’ve won only once straight after a top-tier fixture. That is our limitation, we tend to rest on our laurels.”
Nonetheless, the coach does see some positive elements of his current squad and believes they could raise the bar considerably.
“On Thursday we had a training session on the defensive line and I was really impressed. The line was, and I am not talking about individuals, at the same level as my Napoli and my Empoli. For example, at Chelsea and Juventus, I never reached this level.
“If everyone thinks we can see my Napoli again in total, then they can forget it, because those players had certain qualities and characteristics.”