Lazio 0-1 Sevilla
A goal from Wissam Ben Yedder gave Sevilla a first-leg lead over Lazio, putting the La Liga side firmly in charge of this Europa League Round of 32 fixture.
The Stadio Olimpico in Rome was the venue for Europa League Lazio vs Sevilla, the eye-catching tie of the round. And while it wasn’t a classic with just a single goal in it, both sides will go into the return fixture believing they can win.
Highlights of the game
It was a scrappy start to the game with tackles flying in from both sides, though the referee kept his cards in his pocket while the dust settled. And it was the first real moment of quality which saw Sevilla take the lead on 22 minutes. The visitors intercepted a Lazio attack and broke away at lightning speed, Pablo Sarabia eventually putting the ball on a plate for Wissam Ben Yedder. Sevilla’s top scorer made no mistake, giving Lazio keeper Thomas Strakosha no chance.
SBOBET football fans of La Liga know this guy is banging them in with regularity for Sevilla. And the French hitman already had four goals from the group stages of the Europa League, and this meant he went one ahead of midfielder Ever Banega.
The hosts came into the game without some key players; missing the likes of Ciro Immobile and Sergej Milinkovoic-Savic, they struggled to find any fluency. Midfielder Marco Parolo tried to create something, but when he found Adam Marusic, his shot was blocked by a compact Sevilla defence.
The busy Banega was in the action as always as he set up Pablo Sarabia, but his shot from distance was blocked. When the Argentine had his own chance with a free kick just outside the box, he blazed over the bar. Then Banega swung in a corner onto the head of Gabriel Mercado, but his effort went narrowly wide.
The visitors just about deserved their half-time lead, and Lazio needed to find something in response. In the absence of Immobile, there was a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of Felipe Caicedo. He had a chance early in the second half after good work from Joaquin Correa, but his shot from the left side of the box was just the wrong side of the near post. Then Lazio had another chance after Andre Silva fouled Bastos, who was immediately subbed. Danilo Cataldi put in a dangerous free-kick which found substitute Luiz Felipe on the edge of the six-yard box, but he fired high and wide.
Sevilla went back on the attack, and skipper Jesus Navas crossed for Silva to see his header fly just over the bar. At the other end, Caicedo tried to put Joaquin Correa through but the Argentine had strayed offside. Then, in a late flurry of chances for Lazio, Lucas Leiva came very close from outside the box; when Stefan Radu met a Riza Durmisi cross, his header went just over the bar.
Lazio kept up the pressure to the final whistle but couldn’t break through the Sevilla defence, and fans will be hoping for a return of Immobile soon.
Key statistics
The visitors were at 2.98 to win this leg and they just about deserved it. Our Lazio vs Sevilla betting tips predicted a tight game and so it was.
Sevilla had the better of the first half with 55 per cent possession and winning the shot count by five to two. But each side only managed one on target in a scrappy half which yielded 17 fouls, 11 by the hosts.
The second half opened up a little, but neither side really tested the keepers, with only one more shot on target coming from Sevilla. There’s still plenty at stake in the second leg, and Italian fans will be watching the Lazio vs Sevilla news to see if any of their big players can make a recovery in time.
The Spaniards came into the game after four away defeats on the bounce, a run that has seen them fall off the pace at the top of La Liga after being recently outclassed by Real Madrid. But they have ended that run as well as Lazio’s winning streak of three matches at the same time.
What’s next?
Both teams are in a serious fight for a top-four place in their domestic leagues and have key games at the weekend. Lazio are away to Genoa in Serie A, a match they should win against a side with only one victory in the last six. It’s incredibly tight in the chase for European places. Simone Inzaghi’s side is outside the automatic Europa places, but just a single point behind Milan in the final Champions League slot.
Sevilla are trying to hold on to their own top-four spot in La Liga and have a trip to Villarreal on Sunday. The Yellow Submarine has picked up just two points in six games and is sinking fast in 19th.
And then Lazio head to Seville next Wednesday when a win of any scoreline could see the Italians go through. It’s still all to play for.
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