Italian Serie A Week 4 Preview – Lazio vs Palermo
Matchday four is upon is in Serie A and one of the games of the weekend is Palermo trip to Lazio. Both teams have had indifferent as for Lazio they have picked up brilliant away draw at AC Milan on the opening day in a 2-2 result, then in the Europa league Lazio were held to a 2-2 draw by FC Vaslui at home. Just days later Lazio were undone in the second half by Genoa at the Olimpico 2-1, hours after the result coach Edy Reja offered his resignation to the Lazio board after a row with the Lazio fans. But with this against them on Wednesday Lazio dug in and got a brilliant 2-1 away win at a plucky Cesena side.
The President Claudio Lotito did blast the media for instigating the bad atmosphere around the club. Edy Reja did change his mind and was convinced to stay on as the coach and was in the dugout at Cesena to overview their 2-1 win.
Things for Palermo were very hectic in the summer as the Palermo board sacked Stefano Pioli just ten days before the opening day of the season. Stefano Pioli was replaced by youth team coach Devis Mangia from the youth squad. On the opening day of the season, Palermo won a seven goal thriller against Inter Milan 4-3 at home, but then a week later they fell to Serie A new boys Atalanta 1-0 in the torrential rain which halted the game for 25 minutes. But on Wednesday Palermo got back to winning ways with a 3-2 home win against high flying Cagliari.
On the last five game leading back to the 2009-10 Season, Lazio are 3-1 up over Palermo and there has been 1 draw.
Lazio are missing a host of players due to injuries as Stefano Mauri, Giuseppe Biava, Stefan Radu and Simone Del Nero are all missing. It does look like Abdoullay Konko will slot in to the starting XI to replace Marius Stankevicius who had a absolute nightmare of a game at Cesena.
For Palermo they only player that will be missing is Edgar Alvarez due to injury, Devis Mangara has a bit of a selection headache with Abel Hernandez battling with fellow striker Mauricio Pinilla to partner Fabrizio Miccoli as the starting spot up front.
Lazio 4-2-3-1 Predicted line up
Marchetti, Konko, Dias, Diakite, Lulic, Brocchi, Ledesma, Gonzalez, Hernanes, Cisse, Klose
Palermo 4-4-2 Predicted line up
Tzorvas, Pisano, Silvestre, Migliaccio, Balzaretti, Bertolo, Barreto, Della Rocca, Zahavi, Miccoli, Pinilla.
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