Three Factors That Could Derail Lazio’s Superb Momentum This Season

To say that Lazio have been exceeding all expectations since the start of the season would be a major understatement. Whoever tipped the Biancocelesti to be involved in a relegation scrap before a ball was kicked must be scratching their head at the sight of the Serie A table, as Gennaro Gattuso’s men currently share the top spot with defending champions Inter Milan.

Despite their sensational form, backing Lazio to fight for the Scudetto remains somewhat premature, as the Nerazzurri are much better-equipped to clinch their 22nd league title under Cristian Chivu, not to mention their winning habits.

Nevertheless, betting on the Biancocelesti to finish in the Top four feels like a sensible wager based on the reliable odds provided by bet365 bonus. That being said, many Lazio supporters remain cautiously optimistic, and rightly so. After all, their team can go on to achieve great things this season if they remain on the right track, but we all know how things could swiftly spiral out of control at Formello.

Therefore, here are four factors that risk ruining Lazio’s campaign, or at least hamper it.

Injuries

In fairness, Lazio have thus far shown a remarkable resilience against injuries, as losing two starters, namely Nicolo Rovella and Adam Marusic, hardly affected the team. In fact, some might argue that the Italian midfielder and the Montenegrin right-back haven’t been missed at all, and they might find it hard to regain their places when they return from injury.

But while Gattuso has been able to launch two formidable replacements in Reda Belahyane and Romano Floriani Mussolini, his limited squad might not offer similar guarantees for other roles. For instance, Mattia Zaccagni doesn’t have a clear understudy, while Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is the only natural replacement for box-to-box midfielders Kenneth Taylor and Davide Frattesi.

Physical Drop

Those paying attention to Gennaro Gattuso’s words since the start of the season will know how important the physical factor really is for Lazio’s game. The Aquile certainly don’t boast the best squad in the country, but their game is based on outworking the opposition and suffocating them inside their own areas.

This strategy requires great tenacity, tactical discipline, and willingness to sacrifice for the team. So once the physical levels start dropping, Lazio won’t be able to impose their game anymore, and unlike Inter, Napoli, and Roma, they can hardly resort to individual brilliance.

January Sales

Based on last January’s events, this is a factor we cannot neglect. Last season, Lazio parted ways with two key players (Castellanos and Guendouzi) in the middle of the season, much to Maurizio Sarri’s dismay.

For now, we have yet to hear reliable sources reporting major mid-season sales. But with the club risking another summer transfer ban, recording fresh capital gains could be deemed necessary in January. So Lazio fans will be hoping that Gattuso’s squad can remain virtually intact until the end of the campaign.