Lazio Looking to Keep Pressure on Top Four
Marco Iacobucci EPP / Shutterstock.com
You must go back to the 2007/08 season to find the last time Lazio competed in the group stages of the Champions League. They needed to play a qualifying game to make it that far and fell at that hurdle in 2015/16.
However, there is great optimism at the Stadio Olimpico that Lazio can reach the top four again this season and have another crack at making the lucrative Champions League group stage.
Standing in their way this week are Torino, who are looking to work their way into contention for a Europa League spot. A win in this match would close the gap to sixth place Sampdoria to 4 points and give them great confidence heading into the winter fixtures.
Lazio start this match sitting fifth in Serie A, 6 points behind third place Juventus but with two games in hand. Great rivals Roma are in fourth place, 2 points ahead of Lazio and they could move above them if Roma fail to win at Chievo Verona.
Lazio finished the Europa League group campaign on Thursday night with a 3-2 defeat at Zulte Waragem. It was a disappointing defeat but with qualification in the bag, Simone Inzaghi made some changes to the team.
In Serie A, trends show Lazio have won seven of their last nine matches and have lost just one of their last six at home in the league.
Their only defeat in their last nine games unfortunately came at the hands of their local rivals Roma but having been held by Fiorentina at home in their following match, Lazio returned to winning ways last week with a 2-1 win at Sampdoria.
Lazio have scored 15 goals in their last five home league games and both teams have scored in seven of their last nine at the Stadio Olimpico.
Torino make the trip to Rome on the back of a 1-1 home draw with Atalanta last weekend. That result means Torino are unbeaten in their last six games in all competitions.
Trends show Torino are undefeated in their last five Serie A games but while that sequence started with a 2-1 win over Cagliari, they have since drawn four matches in a row. The draws have come at home against Chievo Verona and Atalanta plus away at Inter Milan and AC Milan.
Having drawn so many Serie A games recently, Torino have won just one of their last ten in the league and have won only one of their last six on the road.
Team news and Lazio are without Davide Di Gennaro and Nani who are both injured. Felipe Anderson made a return to action in mid-week but is likely to start on the bench has it gets back to match fitness.
Torino will be without full-back Cristian Ansaldi who is injured and Antonio Barreca is expected to step in at left-back. Nicolas Burdisso should start in central defence with Lyanco being forced to settle for a place on the bench.
This could be a much closer game than many are expecting and Torino have shown an ability to travel to teams above them in the league and take points. We could see a draw here, with both teams finding the back of the net.
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