AS Roma v Lazio prediction, lineups & tips: Derby della Capitale, 17 May 2026

Maurizio Sarri threatened not to show up. He raged at the Lega Serie A, called for resignations and told DAZN Italia: "It is an insult to the city of Rome, to two big clubs, and to the fans, so someone has to pay for that." The kick-off row, sparked by a scheduling clash with the Italian Open tennis at the Foro Italico, has been resolved by Rome's prefecture rescheduling the derby to an 11:30 BST Sunday slot, but the fury surrounding Lazio has not gone away. Four days after losing the Coppa Italia final 2-0 to Inter Milan, Sarri's side limp into the Derby della Capitale having won just once in their previous five games across all competitions. Roma, meanwhile, have won three consecutive Serie A matches and sit fifth on 67 points, level with AC Milan in fourth and with a Champions League place still mathematically within reach.

Gian Piero Gasperini has transformed Roma's season since taking charge. The former Atalanta boss presided over a 4-0 demolition of Fiorentina at the start of May and backed that up with a 3-2 win away at Parma, Roma's third consecutive league win, to send them into this derby on the crest of a wave. At the Stadio Olimpico, the picture is even more convincing: Roma have lost just once in their last ten home matches in Serie A this season and have scored in 15 consecutive matches in all competitions. Their home record of 12 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats gives them 2.17 points per game on their own patch this term. They have kept ten clean sheets at home all season, conceding just 10 goals, an average of 0.6 per match. The task is simple: win, and the pressure on fourth-placed AC Milan, who carry the same 67 points, intensifies going into the final round.

Gasperini spoke at his pre-derby press conference about the size of the occasion: "The derby is a special match. Beyond the league table and the way the rest of the season unfolds, there is a local rivalry on the pitch that makes everything more beautiful. Lazio are a good team with a great coach who has done well everywhere he's been. It's a top-level match."

Lazio's season has unravelled at a pace that few saw coming. They sit ninth in Serie A on 51 points, with any realistic chance of European football having long since evaporated. Sarri's side have managed one win in their previous five games across all competitions within 90 minutes, and in the reverse fixture on 21 September 2025 they were beaten 1-0 by Roma. The Coppa Italia final defeat to Inter, 2-0, with an Adam Marusic own goal and a Lautaro Martinez tap-in inflicted within the opening exchanges, leaves the squad physically and psychologically depleted. To cap it all, Sarri himself remains uncertain about his own future, telling reporters this week he would not commit to staying beyond the current campaign. The fans, meanwhile, held a months-long boycott of home games aimed at president Claudio Lotito, only returning for the Coppa Italia final.

Maurizio Sarri, speaking after the Coppa Italia final defeat to Inter, did not hold back on the scheduling row ahead of this fixture. "At the start of the season, we played the derby in 37-degree heat, now they are making us play in May at midday," he told DAZN Italia. "I hope they won't make us play at that time, and someone should resign just for proposing it." Serie A eventually confirmed the 12:30 local (11:30 BST) kick-off after the Rome prefecture intervened on public order grounds. Sarri also cast doubt on his own future, remaining non-committal when asked directly whether he would stay for next season.

AS Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Hermoso, Ndicka; Celik, Koné, Cristante, França; Soulé, Dybala; Malen

Lazio (4-3-3): Motta; Marusic, Romagnoli, Gila, Tavares; Rovella, Basic, Dele-Bashiru; Isaksen, Noslin, Zaccagni

AS Roma v Lazio kicks off at 11:30 BST on Sunday, 17 May 2026. In the UK, the match is live on TNT Sports 1 and available to stream via discovery+. The match is also available on DAZN.