“We’ll be ready” – Everything Nigeria’s Dele-Bashiru said ahead of Lazio’s derby clash with AS Roma

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru says Lazio are determined to bounce back from their midweek European disappointment when they face fierce city rivals Roma in Sunday’s eagerly anticipated Derby della Capitale, Soccernet.ng reports.

Lazio slumped to a shock 2-0 defeat against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night and need a response in a match that could prove crucial in the race for Europe.

Speaking in Lazio’s official matchday programme via LazioNews24, Nigerian midfielder Dele-Bashiru admitted the team are eager to redeem themselves both from the loss in Europe and January’s derby defeat to Roma.

What Fisayo Dele-Bashiru said ahead of the Lazio-Roma derby

“A lot, there is no need to underline how important the derby is for us and our fans,” said Dele-Bashiru.

“We will face it with a lot of confidence to try to get the victory. In Europe, as in the first leg against the Giallorossi, we did not offer our best performance, I do not want to find excuses. Certainly, going back to Thursday, the environmental conditions did not help us, but now we must only think about the derby.”

Despite Thursday's physical toll, the 23-year-old insists the magnitude of the derby transcends fatigue.

“It was a physical match against Bodo/Glimt… it wasn’t easy to adapt to the pitch conditions,” he said.

“The derby is a special match thanks also to the push from our fans. That’s why we’ll be ready. Then we’ll recover our energy and think about the return match in Europe.”

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On his personal form, he added:

“I am very happy to have already scored five goals this season. Obviously, if I were to score in the derby too, it would be the most important one. Regardless of my presence on the pitch, the fundamental thing is always the team’s result.”

Since arriving on loan from Turkish side Hatayspor last July, Dele-Bashiru has featured in 18 Serie A matches for Lazio, scoring three goals and providing one assist. He has been involved in 815 minutes of action, including 10 starts.

Sixth-placed Lazio sit on 55 points, two off the final Champions League spot, while Roma are seventh, two points behind their rivals and pushing for a European place of their own. Roma won the reverse fixture 2-0 in January and are unbeaten in the last three derbies.

Lazio’s top scorer is Valentín Castellanos (9 goals), while Roma's Artem Dovbyk leads the line with 11. The stage is set for another fierce chapter in the Rome derby.