<span class="titolo">Serie A Preview: Livorno - Lazio</span></p> <span class="sommario">What: Serie A TIM, Matchday 8Mbr> Who: Livorno (2 pts, 20th) v Lazio (7 pts, 14th) When: Sunday 21st October 2007, 15:00 CET Where: Stadio Armando Picchi, Livorno</span></p> Both Lazio and Livorno have endured poor starts to their seasons and will be desperate for a turnaround in this encounter.</p> The Amaranto are currently sitting last on the table with only two pints to their name and relegation already looming despite it not even being two months into the season.</p> Livorno president Aldo Spinelli recently lost patience and sacked Fernando Orsi, replacing him with former Torino boss Giancarlo Camolese.</p> This match will be Camolese’s first in charge and wholesale changes to the starting line-up are expected. A bonus for Livorno is that their new manager has experience in this type of scenario, and in 2003-04 he led Reggina to safety.</p> Tohave any hope of winning this match, Livorno will need to shore up their leaky defence which has conceded 17 times in just the first seven matches.</p> Their attack is not faring much better and they have only scored a paltry six goals. Their opponents from the Eternal City are also having a miserable season.</p> The Biancoceleste problems are from a different cause however, with the much publicized injury crisis continuing as well as the lack of depth resulting from a failed transfer campaign hindering Lazio’s season. The Biancazzurri defence, which was quite solid last season, has been poor in comparison this year.</p> Against AC Milan last week, inexperienced Uruguayan Fernando Muslera caved between the sticks and his side fell 5-1. Had the Aquilotti successfully signed more cover at the back as well as Juan Pablo Carrizo, who is likely to arrive in January, these problems may have been averted and Lazio would be higher on the table.</p> Matches between these two teams have often been fiery, particularly in the stands where the radical left-wing ultras of Livorno, the Brigate Autonome Livornesi clash with the right-wing ultras of Lazio, the Irriducibili. Arguably, the biggest politically based derby in the world, this match will be vital as both teams will be desperately fighting for points in a bid to get out of the rut they are in.</p> FORM GUIDE</p> Livorno </p> Catania - Livorno 1 - 0 07/10/2007 SERIE A</p> Livorno - Fiorentina 0 – 3 29/09/2007 SERIE A</p> Napoli - Livorno 1 - 0 26/09/2007 SERIE A</p> Livorno - Inter Milan 2 – 2 23/09/2007 SERIE A</p> Genoa - Livorno 1 - 1 16/09/2007 SERIE A</p> Lazio</p> Lazio - Milan 1 – 5 07/10/2007 SERIE A</p> Lazio - Real Madrid 2 - 2 03/10/2007 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE</p> Reggina – Lazio 1 - 1 30/09/2007 SERIE A</p> Lazio - Cagliari 3 - 1 26/09/2007 SERIE A</p> Atalanta - Lazio 2 - 1 23/09/2007 SERIE A</p> TEAM NEWS</p> Livorno </p> The Amaranto will have a new manager for this match with Giancarlo Camolese replacing the sacked Fernando Orsi. Camolese will make changes to the struggling Livorno line-up yet he will be without the suspended Davide Balleri. Fabio Galante and Simone Pavan come into the starting XI.</p> In midfield, the disappointing Vidigal will be replaced by Emanuele Filippini who joins twin brother Antonio in the centre of the park. Massimo Loviso also comes into the team while Tavano and Rossini form a strike partnership. Erjon Bogdani is relegated to the bench.</p> <u>Possible Starting XI:</u> Amelia; Grandoni, Pavan, Galante, Pasquale; Filippini E., Giannichedda, Filippini A.; Loviso; Tavano, Rossini</p> Lazio </p> The main change from the Lazio team which was humbled 5-1 by Milan is the replacement of inexperienced ‘keeper Muslera with veteran Marco Ballotta. Valon Behrami is expected to get the nod at right back with Manfredini fitting into midfield while Ledesma recovers from injury. Italian international Stefano Mauri will play as a trequartista behind Pandev and Rocchi.</p> Possible Starting XI: Ballotta; Behrami, Stendardo, Cribari, Zauri; Mudingayi, Mutarelli, Manfredini; Mauri; Rocchi, Pandev</p> PLAYERS TO WATCH </p> Livorno – Francesco Tavano</p> With Cristiano Lucarelli now finding the net for Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Dontesk in the Champions League, Livorno need a new source of goals and Francesco Tavano could be the main to score them. Tavano was considered one of the better strikers in Italian football when he left for Spain in 2006, after spending six quality seasons with Empoli.</p> At Valencia, Tavano only managed three first team appearances before a loan switch to Roma last season allowed him to return to his homeland. Now, he will be a key man for the Amaranto as they strive to survive.</p> Lazio – Marco Ballotta </p> Veteran goalkeeper Marco Ballotta sat on the bench last week against Milan, witnessing his young teammate Fernando Muslera capitulate under pressure conceding five goals, four of them howlers. This week the 43-year old returns between the sticks and will be under immense pressure to put in a good performance following the previous keeping debacle.</p> PREDICTION </p> Teams usually experience a lift when a new manager takes over but the number of changes which new Livorno boss Camolese will make is likely to unsettle the side. Lazio need to desperately find some league form fast or they risk being drawn into a relegation battle which prior to the season was unthinkable. Expect the Biancazzurri to finally record there second win in this clash, heaping more misery on the struggling Livornesi.</p> </p>
