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

Facing a fight to retain their Serie A status, Torino will start life under new management when they welcome Lazio to Turin on Sunday evening.

Having nosedived into danger with a terrible run of results, Toro decided to make a change in the dugout, while their visitors from the capital are also enduring a downturn.

Match preview

Already trailing by two goals in last week's away game against Genoa, Torino's hopes of a revival were all but ended when Emirhan Ilkhan was dismissed just before half time, and they ultimately lost 3-0.

That proved the final straw for under-fire club president Urbano Cairo, who moved swiftly to sack head coach Marco Baroni and appoint Roberto D'Aversa as an interim replacement.

After arriving from Lazio last summer, Baroni made a satisfactory start, but following the November international break his team conceded 31 goals and suffered 10 defeats - both league highs.

Toro produced just one win in his final eight matches - while keeping a single clean sheet - and they have slumped to 15th place in the Serie A standings.

Appointed on a short-term contract until June, D'Aversa will inherit a side lying three points above the relegation zone, having accrued just four points in the second half of the season.

On their worst tally at this stage of a season since 2021, the Granata are in crisis, and recent home games have been played in front of near-empty stands as fans protest against Cairo's ownership.

Lazio supporters have been making their feelings known too, with their team sitting 10th in the table and set to miss out on Europe for a second straight year.

Following last week's goalless draw in Cagliari, the capital club have posted just one win from their last six league games.

During that run, they also progressed to the Coppa Italia semi-finals - with the first leg against Atalanta taking place next week - so the Biancocelesti’s best hope of salvaging their season may lie in the cup.

While Maurizio Sarri's men have recently struggled in Rome - repeated fan protests surely playing a part - they are proving much more impressive on the road.

Lazio may have scored the joint-fewest away goals, but they also share top spot in terms of goals conceded - just nine so far - and their last away loss was in November.

Now, after a dramatic 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture - only secured by Danilo Cataldi's 103rd-minute penalty - they will visit Torino, to whom they have lost just once in the last 13 league meetings.

Torino Serie A form:

L L W D L L

Torino form (all competitions):

L W L D L L

Lazio Serie A form:

L D W D L D

Lazio form (all competitions):

D W D W L D

Team News

It remains to be seen whether D'Aversa will radically overhaul Torino's starting lineup, so his selection for Sunday's game is uncertain.

The ex-Lecce coach will be missing Che Adams and Tino Anjorin due to injury, while Ilkhan must serve a suspension for his red card last weekend.

In the absence of Adams - who has a thigh problem - Duvan Zapata, Alieu Njie and Sandro Kulenovic will vie with Giovanni Simeone to feature up front.

Lazio are the latter's favourite opponents, with the striker previously scoring 10 goals against his father's old club, including one in the reverse fixture.

Meanwhile, Matteo Cancellieri has scored three Serie A goals against Torino - bagging a brace in October's home game - but he has since fallen out of favour with Lazio boss Sarri.

The winger will hope to regain his place in a misfiring attack, as the Biancocelesti have failed to find the net in their last two matches.

Sarri still has several men missing: Pedro, Toma Basic, Manuel Lazzari, Samuel Gigot and Mario Gila are all unavailable, while Italy midfielder Nicolo Rovella has broken his collarbone.

Torino possible starting lineup:

Paleari; Marianucci, Maripan, Coco; Pedersen, Casadei, Gineitis, Vlasic, Obrador; Simeone, Kulenovic

Lazio possible starting lineup:

Provedel; Marusic, Provstgaard, Romagnoli, Pellegrini; Belahyane, Cataldi, Taylor; Cancellieri, Maldini, Zaccagni