Romanian side Steaua Bucaresti take on Lazio in the Europa League next week, with the home side looking to shock their Italian opponents with a win in the first leg of their Round of 32 tie. However, with Lazio being one of the favourites to win this season’s competition, it promises to be a tough 90 minutes for both sides at the National Arena in Bucharest.
Europa League – Steaua București v Lazio, National Arena, Bucharest – Thursday 15th February – 20:05 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 12/5 at Ladbrokes |
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Steaua Bucuresti
LazioMatch Preview
Steaua Bucaresti host Serie A side Lazio in the Europa League next week, with both teams looking to record a positive result ahead of the reverse tie in Italy. However, it is perhaps the visitors who are the favourites to make it through to the next stage of the competition, with the Italian’s having easily qualified from their respective group. For those still unsure of who to back, be sure to check out our top betting tip below. However, let’s first take a closer look at the two teams, starting with the home side.
Steaua Bucaresti Team News & Form
The home side come into this match off the back of a narrow win over Gaz Metan, a result which leaves them in second in the standings, just two point off top spot. Steaua failed to win any of their last three matches in their Europa League group, however they still manged to collect ten points and qualify with ease as a result. The likes of Harlem Gnohéré, Lucian Filip and Constantin Budescu are among the most talented players for the hosts, with manager Nicolae Dica hoping that his side can give their more illustrious opponents a tough ride. Steaua scored nine goals from their six Group G matches, as well as conceding seven times in the process.
Lazio Team News & Form
Lazio suffered a surprise home defeat to Genoa in Serie A on Monday evening, their second successive loss in the Italian top-flight. However, manager Simone Inzaghi has led his team to a good first half of the campaign, including four wins from six in their Europa League group. Italian international Cirro Immobile will be the biggest attacking threat for the visitors should he start, however Inzaghi may well choose to continue to use the competition to experiment with his side. As a result, the likes of Nani, Felipe Caicedo and Stefan Radu could all feature.
Head to Head
The two teams are yet to meet in a competitive fixture, meaning that no conclusions can be made when it comes to their head-to-head record.
Steaua Bucuresti v Lazio – Betting Odds and Predictions
Despite being the away team in Romania next week, it is Lazio who are the favourites for victory with the majority of online bookmakers. The visitors can be backed at best odds of 10/11 to record a victory with bookmaker William Hill, while those predicting a surprise home success for Steaua can take advantage of odds of 14/5 on the same platform. Elsewhere, a draw between the two sides is available at odds of 12/5 with Ladbrokes.
Top Betting Tip Steaua Bucuresti v Lazio
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on both teams to score during the 90 minutes, which is available at odds of 4/5 with William Hill.