Lazio will be without both first-choice goalkeepers for Sunday's Derby della Capitale after Ivan Provedel's season-ending shoulder surgery and Edoardo Motta's fresh muscular injury, forcing Maurizio Sarri to hand 24-year-old Alessio Furlanetto his Serie A debut. The sudden change raises the stakes in a fixture that could be decisive in the race for a Champions League place.
Breaking: Alessio Furlanetto to start for Lazio in Derby della Capitale
Lazio confirm an enforced goalkeeping reshuffle ahead of the high-stakes clash with Roma. With Ivan Provedel sidelined long-term and Edoardo Motta unavailable through injury, Maurizio Sarri must trust academy graduate Alessio Furlanetto between the posts for a match of enormous significance.
What happened to Lazio's goalkeepers?
Ivan Provedel is out for the season after shoulder surgery, leaving a long-term gap in Lazio’s squad. Edoardo Motta, who had been deputising in recent weeks, is now ruled out with a muscular problem. Squad depth was already affected when Christos Mandas left on loan in January, leaving Sarri with limited senior options.
Who is Alessio Furlanetto?
Furlanetto, 24, is a Lazio youth product who joined the senior ranks after a decade at the club. He has experience on loan in Serie C with Renate and Fermana but has not yet made a competitive appearance for Lazio’s first team. This will be his first Serie A outing and his baptism in one of Italy’s most intense derbies.
Why this matters: top-four implications and tactical consequences
The Derby della Capitale is rarely just three points; it can shift momentum and influence the race for European qualification. Lazio’s loss of experienced goalkeeping depth increases defensive risk against a Roma side adept at pressing and exploiting mistakes. Sarri must balance risk management with maintaining attacking identity.
Tactical adjustments Sarri might consider
Expect a more compact defensive shape on set pieces and clearer protection schemes for the goalkeeper. Sarri may ask his full-backs to sit deeper or his midfield to offer more cover, reducing the number of high-risk, long-range attempts that could pressure an inexperienced keeper. Conversely, the manager could simplify build-up play to limit transitional exposure.
How Roma could approach the game
Roma will likely probe for moments to test Furlanetto early — shots from distance, rapid switches of play and set-piece routines aimed at creating chaos in the box. That said, underestimating Lazio’s defensive organization would be a mistake; Sarri’s teams are disciplined and can quickly close out spaces.
Player perspective and psychological factors
For Furlanetto this is a career-defining opportunity and a high-pressure evaluation of his composure. For Lazio, getting a clean sheet would be liberating; conceding early could destabilize the team’s structure. Sarri’s man-management and the dressing room’s support will be decisive in how calmly the goalkeeper performs.
Outlook: immediate and longer-term effects
In the immediate term, the result will shape the momentum for both clubs in the run-in for Europe. Longer term, Lazio must re-evaluate goalkeeper depth in the summer transfer window and consider whether their current succession plan can withstand injuries at critical moments. If Furlanetto impresses, he could become a trusted option; if not, the club faces urgent recruitment choices.
Bottom line
Lazio head into one of the season’s most consequential matches with an inexperienced keeper — a gamble forced by circumstance.
How Sarri shields his team and how Furlanetto handles pressure will likely determine not just the derby scoreline but a pivotal chapter in Lazio’s top-four chase.
Football Italia
