Fisayo Dele-Bashiru: Lazio Ready to Bounce Back in Rome Derby

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru says Lazio are determined to respond after their disappointing result in Europe when they face city rivals Roma in Sunday’s much-anticipated Derby della Capitale.

Lazio lost 2-0 to Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night in a surprise defeat. Now, they are looking to make a strong comeback in a match that could be very important in the race for European qualification.

Speaking in Lazio’s official matchday programme, as shared by LazioNews24, Nigerian midfielder Dele-Bashiru said the team is eager to recover from both the European loss and their January derby defeat to Roma.

Dele-Bashiru’s Thoughts Ahead of the Derby

“The derby means a lot to us and our fans,” said Dele-Bashiru. “We will go into it with confidence and aim to win. We didn’t play well in Europe or in the first match against Roma, and I won’t make excuses. The conditions on Thursday weren’t ideal, but now we’re only focused on the derby.”

Despite the physical demands of Thursday’s game, the 23-year-old said the derby is too important to let fatigue become a problem.

“It was a tough match against Bodo/Glimt, especially with the pitch conditions,” he added. “But the derby is a special game, and the support from our fans will push us. We’ll be ready, then recover and think about our next European match.”

Strong Season So Far

Talking about his own form, Dele-Bashiru said: “I’m very happy to have scored five goals this season. If I score in the derby, it would be the most important one. But what really matters is the team’s result, not just my performance.”

Dele-Bashiru joined Lazio on loan from Turkish club Hatayspor in July last year. Since then, he has played in 18 Serie A matches, starting 10 of them, scoring three goals and making one assist. He has played 815 minutes in total.

Tight Race for Europe

Lazio are currently sixth in Serie A with 55 points, just two behind the final Champions League spot. Roma are seventh with 53 points and also fighting for a European place. Roma won the first derby this season 2-0 and are unbeaten in the last three matches against Lazio.

Lazio’s top scorer is Valentín Castellanos with nine goals, while Roma’s leading striker Artem Dovbyk has scored 11. Sunday’s match promises to be another exciting and intense Rome derby.