After flirting with relegation last year, not many would have predicted that after 8 rounds of Serie A football, Lazio would be standing alone at the top spot with 19 points.  This week Lazio travel to Sicily to take on a rather inconsistent Palermo side.  Lazio have been in stunning form allowing only one goal in their last 352 minutes of play and having been unbeaten in their last 7 games.  Palermo will be eager to get a win in this game, seeing as they have suffered embarrassing losses in their last two matches.  Palermo is definitely a team that will be contending for a Champions League spot at the end of the season and I'm sure that we can all agree that as of now, Lazio's main goal is to qualify for a Champions League spot which makes this fixture all the more valuable. Many of us are hoping for at least a tie which would be a great result seeing as traveling to the Renzo Barbera is one of the toughest fixtures in the Serie A schedule.  This is a very important game as it will set the tone for how we play in our upcoming fixture in the all important Derby Della Capitale.

Palermo have a number of great players in Ricardo Pinilla (3 goals), Josip Ilicic (4 goals) and they're young star, Javier Pastore (4 goals).  I'm sure we could all agree that Pastore is one of the best midfielders in the Serie A and if Lazio can somehow smother him when he gets the ball, we will have a good chance at coming out of the game with 3 points.  Palermo are second in the league in goals for, so it will be a tough test for our defence come Sunday. However, Palermo is also second in the league in goals against, so Lazio should look to push the ball forward often.  I'm not yet sure who will be starting for Lazio, however, our big 3 in Mauri, Hernanes and Floccari will definitely be on the field and will look to add to Palermo's woes.  Your guess is as good as mine as to to the formation Reja will use come Sunday.  However, Reja has proven to be a great tactician and has led Lazio to their best ever start to a Serie A campaign.  I have no doubt in my mind that Reja will field the best possible lineup that will give us the best chance of winning on Sunday. Let's keep this winning streak going! Forza Lazio!!!

Miccoli missing is great indeed. Palermo away is one of the toughest challenges in Seria A, add their poor recent results to it to make it clear they will be quite ferocius in front of their own fans. I have my concerns regarding Lazio, Hernanes was not that good in the last two fixtures, our defense was not that reliable and allowed Cagliari to create plenty of chances for goal, which on the other hand may prevent the players from beeing overconfident. Hopefully our good shape continues, I will be pleased with a point and will not be stunned if we get nothing from it.

you'd have to think that if we actually emerge from this game with anything in the way of points it would be a serious exclamation mark on the statement we've already made thus far. 

Anyway, their D is, thusfar, much poorer (Rossi said so himself this week). If we re going to exploit them, it has to be there. Of course, that'll mean our Midfield keeping the ball in their half.

Having seen Palermo play numerous times this season, this one will depend upon which Palermo side turns up. The one that cruised past Juve and Bologna in such comfortable fashion, or the one that struggled against Lecce for most of the game and got embarrased in the Europa League against Prague and CSKA, with some of their top players playing as well. They are a young side, and that I believe has contributed to some erratic displays so far even if their recent defeat to a rejuvenated Udinese was their first since week three. It should be a very good game to watch given the quality in both sides, and a point is by no means unobtainable but this will as always be a difficult game as it has been for any side in Serie A over the last few seasons.

^^ I think the less talking we do (the club, players and Lotito) the better. Let Zamparini firer another couple coaches this year and he and Palermo can go to hell. We've been lucky? sure, name one winning team that get's no luck? As an example, look at the second goal against Cagliari. Was it lucky? The way it went in was, but the goal was not on the whole. What's lucky about a good run followed by a strong cross while two men flood the box? That's sound football. Can we finish top 4? maybe, if we can continue like this. But a top six finish for me would be more than acceptable even if we are starting to look like we can aspire to more. I hope we beat Palermo so we can shut that loudmouth up.

^^ Reja's interview was more charming though, he said, amongst other things:

-about Capello's compliments and comparison of this team to Bagnoli's Verona: "Capello is the master of putting me in tough positions" admitting the two are very close friends

- about Zamparini's comments: He's right, he's an expert if football and knows how to judge teams... After all he wanted to hire me on a number of ocassions...!

- on our objectives: "our adversaries are Napoli, Sampdoria and Fiorentina, that is, teams fighting for a spot in Europe...

Forza Mister! 

p.s. Theo, it's not that everyone hates Lazio, I think everyone is out to get me, therefore they take it out on Lazio! 

DVR. lucky you, this game is not on TV for me. when I first looked over the calender this year. I instantly dreaded this game. 7:30am CET is just an awful time for a game, however it is better than 6:30 like most of the other lunch games. to make things worse I am also watching a rugby game at 4:30am on Saturday. My sleep schedule is fucked this weekend.

stay out drinking till 4:30am(watch NZ All Blacks), pass-out till mid day, maybe go out again, stay-up/wake-up for Lazio at 7:30am, then possibly die for Halloween. might just work

Well, yes, Halloween partying will be an issue. And the problem is this; I have never ever ever caught the lunchtime game on a Sunday yet. I caught bits and pieces of Parma e Roma but that was because I got up and went for a long walk - that ain't going to happen after how many Southern Comfort's and "spooky" cocktails I get down me. Luckily I'm on a budget since the taxi's are a fucking pricey joke at 4am, perhaps understandably. Me thinks lying in bed with laptop will have to do for the first half and sort myself out half time.