Lazio vs Fiorentina
It hasn’t been a great week for Simone Inzaghi’s Lazio, and they aim to put that right when Fiorentina visit the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
But it won’t be easy. Serie A Lazio vs Fiorentina is certainly one to watch this weekend. There is a top-three place up for grabs, with the visitors already in situ and Lazio desperate to unseat them. After losing the Rome derby last week, Inzaghi’s team isn’t in the best humour following a 4-1 Europa League stuffing in Frankfurt on Thursday when they had to play over half an hour with nine men. Dusan Basta and Joaquin Correa were both sent off, Correa for violent conduct.
The Viola have made a great start to the season, in third place, and four places above Lazio but just a single point ahead. The only setbacks they have suffered so far were away to Napoli and Inter, and that early-season form has shifted the Lazio vs Fiorentina betting odds towards a pretty evenly matched contest, though home advantage gives Lazio the edge.
Despite its good early season results, Stefano Pioli’s team has very much relied on home form, which he’ll hope to translate to success on the road pretty soon. But his team will face a hostile reception in Rome where the atmosphere will, as always, be electric.
Talking Points
Losing to Roma in the Derby Della Capitale was a hefty blow to Lazio last week; level with twenty minutes to go, Inzaghi would have hoped to keep their rivals at bay. But it wasn’t to be, and his team allowed Roma to haul themselves up the league table and into contention. The drubbing in Germany won’t have helped their mood, but the shock may just help them to get going again.
Inzaghi has some absentees in the run-up to this game, with Mauricio, Ravel Morrison and Brayan Perea suspended, while Jordan Lukaku looks set to miss out through injury. But he has his main men up and running. Serbian Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is pretty much the complete midfielder, earning comparisons to France legend Zinedine Zidane. With his statuesque physique, at 6ft-4in, he is a towering presence in the middle. He has the ability to drive forward and create mayhem in opposing defences.
And you can pretty much guarantee Ciro Immobile being in the Lazio vs Fiorentina news after a prolific season last year where he shared the Capocannoniere with Inter’s Mauro Icardi. The Italy striker already has four goals this term.
The Viola have proved they have a big heart, making a fast start with good wins against Atalanta, SPAL and Udinese while running title contenders Napoli close.
Attacking midfielder Marco Benassi top-scores with three, and Giovani Simeone is a lively handful up front. And Fiorentina have a rock at the heart of its defence in 6ft-3in Argentine German Pezzella. After a successful loan spell last season, the big defender has signed a five-year contract to stay in Florence and has been handed the captain’s armband.
The visitors’ only absentee is likely to be the injured Senegalese midfielder Abdou Diakhate.
History
Fiorentina are a mainstay of Serie A and with a proud history, though their last Serie A title came almost half a century ago. The last of their six Coppa Italia triumphs was in 2001, a year after Lazio had won the second of their two league titles.
I Biancocelesti won the Coppa Italia as recently as 2013 and almost made the Champions League last season, only to be denied on the final day.
The Viola come into the game arguably in better form, with two wins in the last three. But Lazio had won its previous three league games before the back-to-back disappointments, as well as their last three home games in all competitions. And Fiorentina haven’t travelled well for a while, failing to win in their last four league games and losing four of the last six.
Recent head-to-head history can give the Lazio faithful heart: the Romans did the double over Fiorentina last season, making the total results 27 to 12 in the hosts’ favour, with nine of the meetings ending in a draw.
Betting Tip
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Lazio vs Fiorentina | Lazio 1×2 @ 1.85 |
| October 7, 19:00 (GMT+8) |
With SBOBET odds of 4.10, the Viola look pretty good value on very recent form, but I expect a strong response to a bad week from the Lazio players. Inzaghi has the better squad and the bigger goal threat. Fiorentina have made a good start but faltered against the big guns.
It looks like being a tight game with the handicap of -0.25 evening things up, Lazio at 1.96 and, with that +0.25 advantage, Fiorentina are slightly shorter at 1.94.
For an alternative, and if you think Pioli’s men can take something away from a top-ranked side, you can get odds of 3.35 on a draw or a double chance: Fiorentina or draw at 1.84.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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