RIVALRIES don't come much bigger than the Derby della Capitale, which pits Roma against Lazio. These two pushed each other all the way for a Champions League spot last season, with a 0-0 draw in the previous derby game helping Eusebio Di Francesco's team finish in the top four at the expense of their rivals. 1 Roma picked up a valuable three points in midweek Credit: AP:Associated Press What time does Roma vs Lazio kick off? THE first Rome Derby of the season is set for Saturday, September 29. Kick-off is at 2pm UK time. Last season Roma won this corresponding fixture 2-1 thanks to goals from Diego Perotti and Radja Nainggolan. Which TV channel can I watch it on? UNFORTUNATELY you won't be able to catch this game live on UK television. This season selected Serie A games are being broadcast by Eleven Sports in the UK. Currently the channel isn't available through Sky or Virgin, but you can subscribe and stream through your mobile, tablet or laptop. What is the team news? TEAM NEWS | 📋 | Here it is, our starting line-up for the Derby della Capitale! Daje Roma! 🐺#ASRoma #RomaLazio pic.twitter.com/cV4ukHZlor — AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) September 29, 2018<doc-sep>ROME, ROMA - MARCH 31: Ciro Immobile of SS Lazio celebrates the opening goal during the serie A match between SS Lazio and Benevento Calcio at Stadio Olimpico on March 31, 2018 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi/Getty Images) Roma face Lazio at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday, Sept. 29. Here’s all the info you need to watch. For the first time this season, the Rome Derby will be played at Stadio Olimpico, will Roma playing their city rivals, Lazio. Roma have had a disappointing start to the season, picking up only eight points in their first six games. Lazio have got off to a great start, picking up 12 points. On Wednesday, Roma smoked newly promoted Frosinone 4-0. The win slightly reduced the pressure that manager Eusebio Di Francesco is feeling. However, a loss against Lazio could make Di Francesco the first Serie A manager fired this season. Despite the pressure, Di Francesco rotated his squad against Frosinone, opting to keep Edin Dzeko, Bryan Cristante, and Lorenzo Pellegrini on the bench. All three players will return to the starting XI against Lazio. Dzeko will again be the key to Roma’s success this season. Last season, Dzeko scored 16 goals in Serie A. Lazio defeated Udinese 2-1 on Wednesday to move into third place behind Juventus and Napoli, who are the only teams to beat the Eagles this season. Simone Inzaghi also decided to keep his two best players, Ciro Immobile and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic out of the starting XI against Udinese. The two players are the key to Lazio’s success this season. Immobile led Serie A with 29 goals last season and has scored three goals so far this season. Milinkovic-Savic is the classic box to box midfielder, capable of doing everything that a team needs. The Serie A game between Roma and Lazio will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Live streaming is available on ESPN+, which you can access with your cable or satellite subscriptions, either online or through the ESPN+ app. Date: Saturday, Sept. 29 Start time: 9 a.m. ET Location: Rome, Italy Stadium: Stadio Olimpico TV Info: ESPN+ Live Stream: ESPN+ | Fubo.TV. Sign up for a free seven-day trial here. The Rome Derby has been very one-sided since the beginning of the 2013-14 season. Roma have won six of 10 games, with Lazio winning only once.<doc-sep>Perhaps Tallarita and others were right: the ‘true’ derby game against Lazio did turn out to be less insightful about Roma’s application as a team than the win over Frosinone. On a hot Saturday afternoon in late September, few patterns were sustained throughout the 90 minutes and it was very much a game where key events decided the teams’ constantly changing mindset for them. So, a typical derby then. Only with very soft yellow cards to boot. Roma’s Negative Start - Conservative Olsen “It was a game where we more relieved not to lose it than win,” Daniele De Rossi said in the mixed media zone after the game. A fearful Roma from the outset saw over twice as much of the ball in their defensive third, against Lazio, than they had in any domestic game all of September. At times, Roma were willing to commit 5 or more men forward and keep the defensive line high, but never for any great sustained period of play in the first or second halves. Santon, Nzonzi and De Rossi were instrumental in covering ground whenever Roma were caught out for taking risks in committing men forward. Thanks largely to those three names, Lazio were contained to blocked shots on goal for the opening 20 minutes. Meanwhile, Roma weren’t having much luck with their over-reliance on passing back to Olsen - who chose to stay deep inside his area this game, not offering support to the defensive line that he had in mid-week. Roma TV called out EDF’s side on this very point after the game, to which the coach conceeded that his side often chose backpasses to Olsen over better passing options up the field. Before Roma changed their mindset to drop deeper as a team, disaster could have easily struck on 22 minutes when Luis Alberto found himself completely free in the box. Only the Spaniard’s rock-bottom form for Lazio this season can explain him completely screwing up the chance to even get off a shot at Olsen. By rights, Lazio should have been 1-0 up but chances were kept at a premium for them. Only Immobile making the most of Fazio’s mistake in the second half would be the other clear (and taken) chance on goal. Discord With Dzeko - Roma’s Frontline Still Not Firing The Lupi didn’t do much in the derby to turn the page on their lack of clinical finishing from the front, even if this was the second successive game where they finally scored more goals than expected goals (xG 2.46 goals for Roma against Lazio over 90 minutes). But that probably would not have been the case if Florenzi and SES had managed to take their chances on goal - both failing to get a shots off that would have pushed Roma’s expected goals much higher. No sooner was the 22nd minute Lazio chance on Roma’s goal a thing of the past, than Dzeko would work himself through into a one-on-one against Strakosha right up the other end (pictured above). Lazio’s keeper saved but, in the subsequent 9 minutes, Roma worked good chances for Javier Pastore, Alessandro Florenzi, Daniele De Rossi and Stephan El Shaarawy. By the 32nd minute, Roma should have scored at least two if not three goals. The lack of killer chemistry in the frontline came the fore in the second half: Dzeko openly took issue with SES not putting him through on goal before the Bosnian number 9 would go on to ignore several chances to pass SES into goal, himself. Post-match, EDF seemed to take Dzeko’s side in the matter and appease the striker’s frustrations, saying he would keep Dzeko close by offering a word in the Bosnian’s ear not to let frustration get the better of him by looking for individual glory when he’s put in so many shifts for the team. Whether or not any of that is code for Dzeko seeing gametime or the bench on Tuesday evening’s Champions’ League game... well your guess is as good as mine. Lorenzo Pellegrini Announces Himself as Vice-Pastore If Dzeko and SES weren’t getting along for nearly half the game, they didn’t need to. Pellegrini was defending right at the tip of the spear in spells of Lazio possession, leading a 2-man press with Dzeko and blocking the passing lanes against Lazio’s backline exploiting any chances for direct play. Pellegrini would even take a professional yellow card for the team in the second half when both Kolarov and Nzonzi were caught out deep into Lazio’s half. This was the kind of defensive cynicism needed from Pellegrini and lacking from Pastore’s performances so far. But we all know the cherry on top was what Lorenzo did with the ball at his feet. The Roman number 7 scored a backheel goal from Dzeko’s flick-on, won a free-kick for the second goal, and then sent in a sumptious outswinging curler of set-piece for Fazio to score Roma’s third. He took pretty much all of the headlines, after the game was done. You’re unlikely to see Lorenzo Pellegrini and Javier Pastore announced in the same starting lineup too many times, as both players don’t exactly make holding onto the ball a priority of their game. But, regardless of whether one or the other gets most of the starts in the hole for Roma, what a prospect Pellegrini can be if he’s mentored by Pastore at Trigoria for the next couple of seasons. Alexander Gol-arov Makes Derby History Not only did De Rossi let it drop that Kolarov played this week with a fractured left-foot pinky - the same left foot with which he slammed in two goals in the last two games - but the Serbian’s decision to keep playing landed him in the history books of Rome. Kolarov now becomes only the second player in Roma-Lazio derby history to score for both sides, 60 years on from Swedish striker Arne Selmosson first pulling off the feat by scoring for Roma in 1958, in the season immediately after transferring from Lazio. EDF’s Path From System-Coach to Gestitore<doc-sep>One simply never knows what to expect when the city of Rome splits in half for 90 minutes. We’ve seen taut, scoreless draws and open ended free for alls, but no matter how the match plays out, the tension and the passion are unique to the Eternal City; it sounds trite to say it, but there is value, in and of itself and irrespective of what’s going on in the league, to winning a derby. Plus, if you’re a fan of bloodsports, the Derby della Capitale seldom disappoints. However, if you found yourself watching this match and wondering where that kill or be killed mentality was, I’ll turn you over to a former colleague of mine: Trying to figure out why this Rome Derby is less ugly than those in recent years and realized it's because Radu isn't on the pitch. — Kirsten Schlewitz (@kdschlewitz) September 29, 2018 He really is a detestable piece of shit, isn’t he? Radu was actually sent off in the most recent derby, drawing a second yellow in the 80th minute last spring, and this derby was conspicuously lacking in dirty tricks without him. Anyway, back to the matter at hand, the match. Eusebio Di Francesco decided to bottle that midweek magic and bring back the 4-2-3-1 that was so successful against Frosinone, making a couple small changes in the actual personnel. With the Patrik Schick midweek experiment going nowhere, EDF turned back to Edin Dzeko to lead the line, while Alessandro Florenzi slotted in at right wing in place of Cengiz Ünder. Outside of that, it was business as usual for Roma. While they weren’t able to make a dent in the back of the net, Roma held serve for the first dozen minutes or so of this match, with Stephan El Shaarawy doing the damage up front, and Daniele De Rossi and (gasp) Davide Santon holding the line at the back, making several key blocks and generally denying Lazio any effective space in the final third. However, as they so often do, the match ebbed and flowed in the middle sections, with Lazio making runs after the quarter hour mark, nearly grabbing the lead thanks to an impressive Ciro Immobile volley, but, once again, Roma’s backline was there to snuff it out. Immobile would threaten again, narrowly, and I mean narrowly, missing a tight angled shot. With Roma holding firm at the back, you’d be forgiven if you thought it was another kick and run exhibition, but EDF’s side did manage some pretty impressive, and, well, pretty football in the first 45 minutes. Alessandro Florenzi and El Shaarawy each made some impressive, cutting runs towards Strakosha’s box, with El Shaarawy nearly getting on the end of a De Rossi cross, only to be foiled by an in between hop. Florenzi, while his runs were impressive, actually created the half’s best scoring chance when he threaded a sublime ball through the middle to Pastore, who was simply too hobbled to latch onto it. After ceding the momentum in the middle part of the first half, Roma really came to life (ironically) when Pastore was pulled off due to injury, with the local boy, Lorenzo Pellegrini, coming on in his stead. While Pellegrini can’t match Pastore’s touch and feel for attacking football, he was doing the dirty work El Flaco ignored in the first half, tracking back and denying his opposite number the time and space to make plays. While that’s all well and good, Pellegrini made his true mark just before the halftime whistle. Lorenzo Pellegrini: 45th Minute (Roma 1, Lazio 0) Lorenzo Pellegrini scores a back-heel goal to open the #DerbydellaCapitale ❗pic.twitter.com/LDWhKeTJEk — ItalianFootballTV (@IFTVofficial) September 29, 2018 Pellegrini found himself in the right place at the right time, throttle down the loose ball, getting twisted, yet somehow having the presence of mind to backheel it home, giving Roma a much needed lead. It was quite fitting that a Roman finally broke the deadlock, and with a Francesco Totti-esque backheel at that. It wasn’t a perfect first half, but Roma capitalized when it mattered most, giving them a much needed lift as they headed into the locker room. Second Half Roma opened up the second frame with no changes, while Lazio made a double swap just before the hour mark. Despite all that, the opening moments of the second half pretty much mirrored the first: Roma took control but were unable to double their lead, opening the door slightly for Lazio to make their own run at Robin Olsen. However, after 15 minutes or so, the match held firm at 1-0 Roma thanks to the continued efforts of Santon, De Rossi, Federico Fazio and Aleksandar Kolarov, each of whom had seemingly mastered positioning on this evening, giving Lazio little in the way of freedom to maneuver. Roma would shit the bed some ten minutes later, when Fazio treated the ball like Lenny treats Mice, carelessly turning the ball over to Ciro Immobile some 20 yards away from Olsen. Ciro Immobile: 67th Minute (Roma 1, Lazio 1) HUGE mistake from Fazio & Immobile takes advantage of the mistake to make it 1-1! #RomaLazio #DerbydellaCapitalepic.twitter.com/txUyNHSy6B — ItalianFootballTV (@IFTVofficial) September 29, 2018 From there, Immobile unleashed hell, just absolutely burying the ball in the net. It was your classic Roma fuck up; everything was going great, Roma looked set to ride out this one-niler only to be done in by a lapse in judgement. My old baseball coach was fond of saying he could tolerate physical errors, but mental ones were practically cardinal sins; that was Fazio in this instance. However, in a testament to how much this match means, Roma kept pressing and almost immediately put themselves in prime position to score. With Lorenzo Pellegrini charging through the middle, the Lazio defense, perhaps in haste but who cares, tripped him up on that little circle thingy on top of the 18 (what the hell is that called anyway? ), and while he was a few centimeters short of earning a PK, Pellegrini’s run did lead to this... Aleksandar Kolarov: 71st Minute (Roma 2, Lazio 1)<doc-sep>
ROME, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 29: Lorenzo Pellegrini celebrates with his teammates of AS Roma after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A match between AS Roma and SS Lazio at Stadio Olimpico on September 29, 2018 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) After a remarkable second half, Christian Yelich looks like the NL MVP favorite by Ynal Al-Ouri Are you not entertained? From the very start, the Rome derby thrilled. Here’s what we learned from a truly swashbuckling spectacle. In many ways, the Rome derby is the modern day equivalent of a gladiator fight at the Colosseum. Fans from both sides want blood; they demand a level of passion and commitment from the players that is superhuman. They want their players to grind and fight, but above all they want a victory. Unfortunately, both sides can’t leave with a win, and Roma came away victors on Saturday. Here are three key takeaways from the match. Pellegrini is a real talent For regular viewers of Serie A, the name Lorenzo Pellegrini will probably be quite familiar, but few Roma fans would have expected what they got from him today. Pellegrini came in for Javier Pastore midway through the first half, after Pastore walked off injured, and boy did he have an impact. It’s a bit of a cliche to say one player really changed the momentum of the game, but from his ingenious finish to give Roma the lead, to his ability to drive his team up the field whenever he got the chance, Pellegrini won the hearts of every Roma fan with his performance. For Eusebio Di Francesco, Pellegrini’s performance will pose a really good sort of headache. Roma made some good signings over the summer and have real strength in depth, but after losing key figures in midfield, Di Francesco will have wanted new leaders to step forth. Pellegrini has done just that with his performance today and will be a real player over the next few years. Lazio should take heart from this performance While the result was disappointing, Simone Inzaghi will take heart from what he saw on the pitch from his side. Lazio have started the season well, and will continue to approach matches on the front foot. The open, end-to-end match led to a disappointing defeat, but Lazio’s setup, and the manner in which they pulled off his instructions will have pleased Inzaghi. Lazio are a counter-punching side, and this style may not always win big games, but their commitment to their identity and style of play is something many mid-table teams in the Premier League can learn from. Lazio pushed for a Champions League spot last year, and just about failed to make it there. This year is all about rebuilding the momentum that saw them play free-flowing, goalscoring soccer. While the result may not have gone their way, Lazio should and will take many positives from the match. Roma finally building important momentum Di Francesco was under a lot of pressure after Roma’s poor start. That was probably unfair given he helped his side to the Champions League semifinals last year, and had Roma playing some scintillating soccer. But many Roma fans felt that too many changes were happening too soon after losing key figures like Radja Nainggolan, Kevin Strootman and Allison, the impact of which was being seen on the pitch. Despite looking good going forward, Roma have been terrible defensively, which has led to some dreadful performances in big games. But Roma have won two games on the spin now with almost two entirely different lineups. With players like Justin Kluivert still waiting on the sidelines, there are many things Roma fans can look forward to over the next few months. For Di Francesco, however, it’s this very important moment that he’ll be reveling in.