Lazio Aims to Bounce Back Against Struggling Salernitana
The Stadio Olimpico will play host to a clash of contrasting fortunes on Friday, as an inconsistent Lazio side welcome basement dwellers Salernitana to the Italian capital. While the hosts have struggled to find their best form under new manager Igor Tudor, their visitors are locked in a desperate battle to preserve their Serie A status.
For Lazio, the 2023-24 campaign has been a story of unfulfilled potential thus far. Despite assembling a talented squad brimming with quality, Tudor’s men have flattered to deceive, epitomized by their tally of just 46 points from 31 games. Their underwhelming eighth-place standing leaves European qualification very much in the balance, a reality that will be tough to swallow for a club of Lazio’s stature.
Their recent Derby della Capitale defeat to rivals Roma will have done little to improve the mood around the club. A 1-0 reverse flattered Lazio, who managed a solitary shot on target over the 90 minutes, as their pursuit of a top-six finish took another dent. However, the visit of Salernitana presents the perfect opportunity to rediscover some momentum.
The same cannot be said for the visitors, who are propping up the Serie A table having accumulated a meagre 15 points to date. Without a victory since the turn of the year, Salernitana’s 14-game winless run has left them hurtling towards the unforgiving surroundings of Serie B, with an immediate return to the second tier now looking increasingly likely.
There were hints of defiance in their most recent outing, as they fought back from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to Sassuolo. However, the manner of the comeback should not detract from Salernitana’s wretched defensive record, which has seen them ship a league-high 64 goals already this term.
Paulo Sousa’s side have now failed to keep a clean sheet in their last eight matches, a statistic that will be giving Lazio’s frontline confidence ahead of Friday’s clash. While the hosts have hardly set the world alight in front of goal, netting just 37 times, their profligate opponents could provide the ideal opposition for Tudor’s men to kickstart their season.
With time rapidly running out for Salernitana to preserve their top-flight status, defeat in the Italian capital could prove a fatal blow to their faint survival hopes. In contrast, a morale-boosting victory for Lazio would reignite their European ambitions and provide them with a timely boost ahead of the season’s climax.
The historical signs are not overly promising for the visitors, who have tasted success in just five of their 12 previous meetings with Lazio. Their inability to keep the hosts at bay is a theme that has run throughout those encounters, failing to record a shutout in any of their last six trips to face the Biancocelesti.
When considering the two sides’ respective motivations as well as their contrasting campaigns, it is difficult to construct a compelling case for anything other than a home win on Friday. Salernitana’s calamitous defending could open the door for Lazio’s array of attacking talents, setting the stage for a comfortable evening’s work for the hosts.
While Lazio’s season may have failed to live up to expectations so far, a convincing triumph in this fixture would provide them with the perfect shot in the arm as the Serie A season approaches its climax. For Salernitana, another depressing chapter in a miserable campaign surely awaits. The harsh reality of a disastrous season is closing in – and there may be no escape.