Preview: Lazio vs Monza - prediction, team news, lineups

Seeking a fifth win from six league matches, Lazio will welcome Serie A strugglers Monza to Rome on Sunday afternoon.

While the high-flying hosts are still unbeaten, their visitors finally claimed victory just before international football intervened.

Match preview

Since being dumped out of the Coppa Italia by Mantova on Gennaro Gattuso's dugout debut, Lazio have put together an impressive run of league results, taking them into contention for top spot.

First, they beat Bologna, before edging past both Genoa and Udinese, then they spilled a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home to AC Milan.

Just before the break, Gattuso's side struck twice in the second half to defeat rock-bottom Venezia, leaving them level with reigning champions Inter Milan and arch-rivals Roma on 13 points.

A solid defence has been the basis for such a strong start, as Lazio have kept three clean sheets in five games and only Cagliari have conceded fewer goals.

Now, the Biancocelesti will aim to set a new club record by winning five of their first six top-flight fixtures - something the capital club has never previously achieved.

History will be on the hosts' side, as Monza have yet to beat Lazio in a Serie A contest, losing four out of six so far.

Indeed, their last clash with the Biancocelesti at Stadio Olimpico saw them suffer a 5-1 mauling, shortly before they were demoted from Italy's top tier.

Monza bounced straight back by winning the Serie B playoffs last season, but beside coming through two cup ties, they have struggled to build on that momentum.

After appointing Ivan Juric as their new boss, the Brianzoli leaked lots of goals and took just one point from their first four fixtures, leaving them stuck inside the drop zone.

So, Juric surely breathed a big sigh of relief when his team beat Sassuolo last time out, as summer signing Gustavo Varela scored his third and fourth Serie A goals.

Lazio Serie A form:

Lazio form (all competitions):

Monza Serie A form:

Monza form (all competitions):

Team News

Lazio played low-key friendlies against Arezzo and Juve Stabia during the break, but Gattuso will be able to name a more familiar lineup this weekend.

Although Albert Gudmundsson returned from Iceland duty with a dislocated shoulder, the hosts' other international players should all be available.

That list includes Davide Frattesi - who has already scored three times for his new club and impressed for Italy in the UEFA Nations League - and Croatia defender Josip Sutalo.

Matteo Cancellieri could be back on the bench after resuming full training, but Adam Marusic is set to join Gudmundsson, Danilo Cataldi and Nicolo Rovella on the sidelines.

While Andrea Pinamonti and Tijjani Noslin must vie to lead Lazio's front line, Varela will surely spearhead Monza's. The latter missed one game through injury but still has four goals so far, making him invaluable to the visitors.

Monza are still missing injured captain Matteo Pessina and Roma loanee Jan Ziolkowski, but wing-backs Idrissa Toure and Patrick Ciurria are much closer to returning.

Lazio possible starting lineup:

Mandas; Floriani Mussolini, Sutalo, Provstgaard, Tavares; Frattesi, Belahyane, Taylor; Isaksen, Noslin, Zaccagni

Monza possible starting lineup:

Tornqvist; Kouadio, Lucchesi, Carboni; Birindelli, Akinsanmiro, Folorunsho, Mangas; Colpani, Robinson; Varela