Lazio Could Make Six Changes to Their Lineup for Second AC Milan Meeting | OneFootball

Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri will ring the changes to his starting lineup ahead of Thursday’s Coppa Italia clash against AC Milan.

The Background

The two teams met at San Siro on Saturday, with the Rossoneri prevailing by a single goal following a much-debated finale. Nevertheless, the Biancocelesti will have the opportunity to exact immediate vengeance when they host their rivals at the Stadio Olimpico for a Round of 16 showdown.

Maurizio Sarri to Rotate Lazio Lineup vs AC Milan

As usual, the managers will take the opportunity to rotate their lineups by resting some of their key players and giving opportunities for those who haven’t been prominently featured this season. According to Il Corriere dello Sport, Sarri could make six changes to his starting XI, beginning with Taty Castellanos.

Taty Castellanos or Boulaye Dia?

As the source tells it, the 66-year-old is tempted to unleash the Argentine from the start after making his return from injury in the second half on Sunday. However, Sarri is mindful that Boulaye Dia will soon leave for the African Cup of Nations, so he may want to avoid overwhelming Castellanos, who has just returned from a two-month layoff.

Taty Castellanos celebrates his goal with Boulaye Dia (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

The head coach is also expected to make at least one change on the wings, with Tijjani Noslin coming in to replace either Mattia Zaccagni or Gustav Isaksen, most likely the latter. Pedro is also in the running, but Sarri could be reluctant to field the 38-year-old from the first minute.

A Chance for Fisayo Dele-Bashiru?

In the middle of the park, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is pushing for a starting role at Toma Basic’s expense, while Matias Vecino and Matteo Guendouzi will likely keep their roles. The almost-forgotten Reda Belahyane is trailing behind.

Nuno Tavares to Start Against AC Milan

In the full-back slots, Nuno Tavares should reclaim his starting spot after his return from injury, dropping Luca Pellegrini to the bench. Adam Marusic is tipped to start again at the expense of Manuel Lazzari and Elseid Hysaj (who is only eligible to play in the Coppa Italia after getting dropped from the Serie A list).

Partial Changes at the Back for Lazio

Concerning the centre-back roles, Sarri will only make one change, so either Patric comes in for Mario Gila, or Oliver Provstgaard replaces Alessio Romagnoli, as the manager would like to keep at least one of his key defenders in the lineup. Finally, Christos Mandas could make his long-awaited season debut, giving Ivan Provedel a breather.

Lazio Probable XI (4-3-3): Mandas; Marusic, Gila, Provstgaard, Tavares; Guendouzi, Vecino, Dele-Bashiru; Noslin, Castellanos, Zaccagni