Rome, Italy (AFP) — Claudio Ranieri has had a mixed beginning to his third spell in charge of AS Roma but if they prevail in the Rome derby on Sunday over Lazio he will go a long way to placating the fans.

With leaders Atalanta and third-placed Inter Milan involved in the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, Napoli can go top of the Serie A table if they get at least a point in a tough away match at Fiorentina on Saturday.

However, it is the Rome derby that headlines the fixtures with Lazio requiring a win to keep alive outside hopes of the league crown.

Derbies arouse fierce passions and the Roma ultras landed the first blow in the verbal battles ahead of the match.

“With ardour, poison and Romanism, values of a football which no longer exists… go and massacre the blue and white bastards,” was their blunt message.

They may get their wish as Lazio’s form has been wobbly in the past month.

They have won just two league matches since December 1, and suffered a 6-0 home hammering by Inter Milan.

Nevertheless, they lie in fourth spot, just six points off Atalanta and Napoli.

Roma by contrast are a similar amount of points clear of the relegation places, and are on their third coach of a turbulent season.

They have accrued only seven points in six matches since 73-year-old Ranieri came out of retirement in mid-November.

However, four of those points have come in the past two matches, a 5-0 mauling of Parma and then produced in Ranieri’s eyes one of their best away performances this term in the 1-1 draw at AC Milan last weekend.

Most encouraging for Ranieri has been the form of Argentinian forward Paulo Dybala, who has scored three goals in the last two matches.

“It makes us happy because when Paulo is in this sort of form it’s worth paying the price of the ticket to see a footballer with that star quality,” said Ranieri.

The ever generous Ranieri took time to praise his Lazio counterpart Marco Baroni, though, the latter is the first to acknowledge that things have been tougher of late.

Indeed according to the Roman media, Baroni gathered his squad together prior to training on Wednesday and told them “it is time to grit our teeth and admit what a difficult spell we are having”.

Publicly, Baroni has presented a more positive front and said his team will “stand up to be counted” for the game he labelled “not just another match but THE match”.

“We will approach the game in good spirits and well prepared for a match that we know really counts,” he said.