Lazio, currently at the top of the championship, have received a clear mandate from their coach, Gennaro Gattuso: "Don't look at the table". The coach, who has already expressed several times the need to keep the team focused on the present, underlined that the first objective is to "train properly and respect the rules", avoiding being carried away by the enthusiasm for the first place position.
The internal "diktat" proves to be particularly important in view of the next decisive five-match block, which marks the beginning of a real test cycle for the team. Between 14 and 26 November Lazio will face Juventus in Turin, Parma at the Olimpico, Sassuolo in Reggio Emilia, Cagliari at home and, finally, Napoli at Maradona. These matches, with opponents of different levels and an intense calendar, represent the first real maturity exam of the season.
Gattuso described the match against Juventus as a "technical, physical and above all mental test", which will allow us to verify whether the principles built in the previous months can resist when the level of play increases and the space to play is reduced. Subsequently, the matches against Parma, Sassuolo and Cagliari will be opportunities to demonstrate the team's ability to manage the pressure of the forecast, while the match against Napoli will be the culminating point of the cycle, together with the away match against Juventus.
Despite the leading position, Gattuso reiterated that it is not ideal to "look at the table" and that the team must focus on the short horizon: the next training session, the next match. This approach was adopted to protect the team, which is in a higher position than expected, by avoiding creating excessive expectations or being distracted by long-term objectives.
With the next five matches scheduled, Lazio will have to demonstrate not only their technical quality, but also their ability to maintain concentration and discipline in a context of great pressure. The result of this cycle of tests will be fundamental in defining the direction of the team in the subsequent phases of the season.