Lazio put their 100% winning record on the line when they take on Nice at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday, with both teams being in a strong position to qualify for the knockout stage of this seasons Europa League. However, the French side will be out for revenge having lost out to Lazio on home turf last time around.
Champions League – Stadio Olimpico, Rome – Thursday 2nd November – 21:05 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 3 at Ladbrokes |
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Lazio
NiceMatch Preview
Lazio secured an impressive away win in Nice when the duo met in France last week, meaning that they are just a point away from guaranteeing their place in the knockout stages of the Europa League. Meanwhile, despite being three points off their opponents in the Group K standings, Nice will still harbour hope of finishing top of the pile. With a whole host of top players on show for both sides, it could well be one of the ties of the week in Rome, with plenty of interest in the match from both neutral fans and betting customers. Let’s take a closer look at the two teams, as well as our top betting tip surrounding this high-profile encounter.
Lazio Team News & Form
Lazio earned a crucial away win over Bologna in Serie A in midweek, leaving them fourth in the standings after eight wins from ten, in what has been an impressive start to the campaign for Simone Inzaghi’s men. Their form in Europe has been just as impressive, with two goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in France last week helping them to earn a 3-1 victory over Nice, their third consecutive win in the Europa League. Lazio forward Ciro Immobile has been the star of the show for the Rome club this season, scoring 13 goals in Serie A already. It remains to be seen as to what kind of starting eleven Inzaghi will name for the match next week, with the likes of Nani, Felipe Caicedo and Luis Alberto all hoping for starts. Lazio take on minnows Benevento at the weekend ahead of their clash with Nice.
Nice Team News & Form
Having finished third in Ligue 1 last season, Nice have struggled for any sort of consistency this season, with their defeat at home to Strasbourg at the weekend leaving them 14th in the standings. However, wins over Zulte-Waregem and Vitesse in Europe mean that they are still in with a good chance of making the knockout stage of the competition. Both Mario Balotelli and Wesley Sneijder have experience of playing against Lazio from their spells with Inter Milan, with the duo expected to be fit enough to line-up for Nice in Rome.
Head to Head
Before last week’s clash in France, where Lazio produced a fine away performance to claim a 3-1 victory, the two teams had never previously met in a competitive fixture. As a result, few conclusions can be made ahead of the reverse fixture.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Given their success last week and their status as the home team for the upcoming match, it is Lazio who are the favourites for victory with the majority of online bookmakers. The home side can be backed at odds of 11/18 with Ladbrokes, while the same bookmakers offer the Ukrainian underdogs odds of 21/4.
Top Betting Tip
Our top betting tip for the match is to bet on both teams to score during the 90 minutes in Germany, which can be backed at odds of 4/6 at William Hill.