The ultimate derby: Roma face Lazio in fiery showdown

Matchday 4 of Serie A kicks off with one of the most anticipated and keenly felt fixtures of the entire season: the Capital derby. Lazio, the home side at the Stadio Olimpico, will open the 2025/26 edition against a Roma side determined to break a taboo that has lasted for far too long. A historic and fiery rivalry that has become a true symbol of Italian football over the years.

A taboo to break

Sunday will be the 185th Capital derby. In the overall balance sheet, Roma leads with 69 wins against Lazio's 50, while there have been 65 draws. But while the general record smiles on the Giallorossi, the situation changes radically when the city derby is played with the Biancocelesti as hosts.

In fact, there have been ten consecutive derbies in which Roma has failed to conquer Lazio's pitch: a very heavy taboo, also certified by the numbers. In the last ten 'away' matches, the Giallorossi have found the net just 4 times, compared to the 15 goals scored by Lazio, who have managed to win six times in the same period.

Kings of the derby

The Rome city derby has seen goalscorers who have become legends. On the Giallorossi front, Dino Da Costa stands out, having scored 11 goals overall against Lazio, and Francesco Totti, also with 11, followed by Vincenzo Montella with 8. Among the Biancocelesti, Silvio Piola stopped at 7 goals, while Ciro Immobile is chasing closely with 6 goals.

The 'Pupone' remains the symbolic figure in the history of the derby: record holder for appearances (45) and wins (15, like Daniele De Rossi), with 12 wins in the league and 3 in the Coppa Italia. A curious record also concerns defeats: Totti is in fact the player who has lost the most derbies, a good 17 (13 in Serie A and 4 in the Coppa). Behind him are Silvio Piola and Ștefan Radu, stuck on 10.

The hottest derby

The Rome city derby is not only synonymous with spectacle and goals, but also with intensity and competition. It is in fact the match that, since 1994/95 (the beginning of the era of three points for a win), has collected the highest number of cards in Serie A: 372 yellow cards and 39 expulsions.

A trend that was also confirmed last season: in the first match, Roma won 2-0 at the 'Giallorosso' Stadio Olimpico in a match with nine yellow cards and the expulsion of Castellanos, while in the return match the Biancocelesti snatched a 1-1 draw at home in a match that saw six players booked.

The atmosphere of the Stadio Olimpico

Once again, the Stadio Olimpico is preparing to transform into a cauldron: the Capital will come to a standstill for one of the most anticipated events of the year, divided between light blue and white and red and yellow. 34,000 tickets have already been sold, to which season tickets must be added: there will be around 60,000 spectators in the stands, with 37,000 Lazio fans and 23,000 Roma fans ready to push their teams on.

The setting, as always, promises fireworks. Lazio and Roma are ready to write a new chapter in the hottest city derby in Italy, one of the most fascinating and followed rivalries also at European level.