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Fabio Capello believes Roma are more prepared than their opponents going into the upcoming derby, but knows it’s always a delicate game.
The former Roma boss – who led the side to the Scudetto in 2001 - was interviewed by ‘Radio Anch'io Sport’ on Monday, and was asked to analyse the current situation of the two capital clubs.
As usual this will be a critical derby, with Lazio looking to climb up the standings and Roma aiming to keep pace with AC Milan, Inter and Juventus at the top.
“I’ve been saying for a long time that I like how Roma are playing, and I really liked how they played against Inter,” Capello said.
“If Roma play like they did in the last 20 minutes against Inter, they’ll play like a great team.”
He added: “Roma look better prepared [than Lazio] at the moment, but the derby is always a different sort of game.”
Capello was full of praise for Fonseca’s style of play, and the form the team is currently in, but was disappointed with their lapse in concentration at the beginning of the second half on Sunday.
“I didn’t like those 20-25 minutes [Roma] left for Inter,” he said. “But in the final 20 minutes Roma more than matched a great team.
“There were lapses in concentration and moments of great football by both teams, but you can’t give away 20-25 minutes to your opponents. Great teams always have to be switched on, and don’t make these mistakes."
Capello sees Roma’s rivals as going into the derby struggling to cope with some injuries.
“The Lazio I saw [against Parma] were a bit stretched,” he said.
“But they are missing a lot of players too, so that makes a difference.”
Capello also commented on the uncertainty of this season’s Serie A, believing empty stadiums have been a major factor behind the surprise results and compacted league table already seen so far.
“Playing in an empty stadium with no fans is like playing in an aquarium, everything is magnified,” he noted.
“You see great technical mastery, and great skills on the field.”
Roma face off with their eternal rivals on Friday evening at 20:45 CET.
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