Stefano Pioli praised his Lazio players for sweeping Sampdoria aside 3-0 and looks ahead to the Rome Derby.

The Coach had never previously managed to beat Samp or Sinisa Mihajlovic, but broke both taboos this evening.

“Now we need to see how Cana and Lulic injuries develop ahead of the next game, which is obviously The Game,” said Pioli referring to the Rome Derby.

Stefano Pioli praised his Lazio players for sweeping Sampdoria aside 3-0 and looks ahead to the Rome Derby.

The Coach had never previously managed to beat Samp or Sinisa Mihajlovic, but broke both taboos this evening.

“Now we need to see how Cana and Lulic injuries develop ahead of the next game, which is obviously The Game,” said Pioli referring to the Rome Derby.

“Of course there is great rivalry. The team did well to stay concentrated on Sampdoria and now we can prepare for this very important match with the right belief and calm.

“I can only compliment my players for this performance, we had consistency and also quality. We changed our attitude against Inter after the break, thinking we could sit back and rest on the 2-0 lead, but that draw taught us a lesson.”

Felipe Anderson had a dismal first year in Serie A, but the 21-year-old has now scored five goals in as many games in all competition and provided numerous assists.

“I found a player of great talent and technique. The previous season was tough for everyone at Lazio, but we worked hard and obviously he needed confidence and regular playing time,” Pioli told Sky Sport Italia.

“There is competition for places, as I fielded a trident attack and on the bench we had a trio of similar quality. Players have to earn their place every game and this competition can only be good for them.”

Filip Djordjevic broke his goal drought with a tap-in, but continues to fight Miroslav Klose for his starting spot.

“Whether Klose or Djordjevic, our centre-forwards always worked hard for the team and engaged in certain types of movement to free areas up for others to push forward. I know that I have many alternatives at my disposal and that is always good for a Coach.

“Most of the time I don’t make the decisions, but their efforts in training make the decision for me. To play with four attackers in my view the only available system is 4-2-3-1. We are experimenting with that and everyone is willing to sacrifice for the team, but at the same time we have a good balance and don’t want to wreck that.”

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