Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri recognises the importance of Sunday's clash with Atalanta.

Sarri says the result could be decisive this season.

He said, “It can affect the development of the season, for it to be decisive eight months from the end seems excessive to me.

"Leaving aside the material aspect, on a mental level it can give us something and take it away."

On their defensive improvement, he added, “You always have to wait, these are statistics that make sense in the long run, in 10 games they can depend on a thousand factors.

“We could do with continuing like this, we know it's not certain that it's the right number for us. We'll see with many more games as proof."