Simone Inzaghi warned Lazio’s clash with Torino is “like a Final,” but he wouldn’t change Andrea Belotti with Ciro Immobile.
It kicks off on Monday at 19.45 GMT, click here for a match preview.
“We are certainly in good shape at the moment and achieved some important results, but we need to confirm our status,” said the Coach in his Press conference.
Simone Inzaghi warned Lazio’s clash with Torino is “like a Final,” but he wouldn’t change Andrea Belotti with Ciro Immobile.
It kicks off on Monday at 19.45 GMT, click here for a match preview.
“We are certainly in good shape at the moment and achieved some important results, but we need to confirm our status,” said the Coach in his Press conference.
“Torino are a fine team and Sinisa Mihajlovic is a friend, so I know how good he is at coaching. His sides are always very well-organised.
“I want to see us play at 100 per cent for the entire 95 minutes, without fail, because this is a very important match. We want to stay up there and that means this is like a Final.
“We have to take it one game at a time, that way we can have no regrets. It’ll be a huge battle for Europe and especially the top three, but I have faith, as I saw my players in training.
“This is a decisive period of the campaign, so we have to play as if it’s a Final. Despite the initial scepticism around this squad, I had my faith in them from the start. The next two months are very important and we’ve got to be ready.”
Federico Marchetti is still out injured, while Keita Balde Diao is also at risk after “a nasty cut to his foot that did not allow him to train properly. Yesterday he was able to train and we’ll see tomorrow if he starts or not.”
This is a battle between Italy’s two star strikers, though Immobile was teammates with Belotti at Torino last season.
“They are the two best Italian forwards around right now, which is why they are such a good partnership for the Nazionale. I really like Belotti, as he works so hard and scores goals, but I wouldn’t change him with Immobile. Ciro is giving us so much on top of the goals, he’s a real leader and at difficult times he fires his teammates up.
“He’s always got a smile on his face, too. I already knew Ciro and that’s why I wanted him in the team. I admire Belotti, of course, but I wouldn’t exchange him with Immobile.
“Yesterday we tried out a four-man defence in training, today we tested out three. It’s all about the interpretation, not the shape.”