Marco Baroni is in search of confirmation as he prepares for his team’s match against Udinese following a strong debut in the season opener against Venezia. The coach acknowledges the challenge ahead, saying, “We face a strong opponent, backed by a well-organized club that has been working with a serious plan for years. They are a physically robust team, but they also have many talented players who play an aggressive, vertical style of football. The coach is new, but we’ve studied him carefully, considering his previous experiences. It will be a tough challenge, but we will be ready.”
The performance exhibited by Lazio against Venezia was promising, yet Baroni believes there is still room for improvement, particularly in terms of the speed of play. “We need to work on the pace of our movements,” he admits. “We must find balance through greater compactness. We need to do this with aggression and forward pressure.” His focus is on continuous improvement, emphasizing the importance of growth in training and matches. “We need to develop from one training session to the next, from one game to the next,” he says. “The hierarchy is determined by training. The players are working hard, and I especially like their mental attitude.”
In Udine, there is a possibility of seeing new signing Dia make his debut during the match, with the potential for both him and Castellanos to feature at the same time. “No, I don’t rule that out at all,” Baroni confirms. “Dia is definitely a strong player, just like Castellanos. I have even played with four strikers simultaneously in the past. The issue isn’t the number of forwards, but how they move on the field and how much they contribute in both phases of play. However, Dia and Castellanos can also play together.”
Lazio is set to travel to Udine today. In addition to the injured Gila, who will return after the international break, Pellegrini will also be absent due to a traffic accident earlier today, fortunately without serious consequences. The starting lineup is expected to be the same as the one that faced Venezia, with Vecino stepping in for Rovella in the midfield.
