Free Scoring Lazio aiming for Champions League
Marco Iacobucci EPP / Shutterstock.com
There are two matches to look forward to in Serie A this week and this first takes place in Rome on Wednesday evening as Lazio host Udinese at the Stadio Olimpico.
Lazio come into this match sitting third in Serie A and are facing a battle with Inter Milan and Roma for two Champions League qualifying places. This game in hand gives Lazio the opportunity to open a 3-point gap over Inter Milan.
Udinese start the match in ninth place, some 14 points adrift of their hosts. However, a win would see them move above AC Milan into seventh place and increase their hopes of claiming the final Europa League qualifying spot.
Trends show Lazio have remained undefeated in their last seven matches in all competitions. There have been wins in Serie A against Crotone, SPAL and Chievo Verona and against Cittadella and Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia.
The two games Lazio failed to win ended in draws at Atalanta and Inter Milan.
Lazio have been fantastic to watch this season and have been scoring goals for fun in recent games. they defeated Chievo Verona 5-1 at home on Sunday and this was the second league match in a row in which Lazio have scored 5 goals.
They have scored 17 goals in their last five Serie A games, at an average of 3.4 goals per game and that includes a 0-0 draw with Inter Milan. Lazio have scored more goals than any other team in Serie A this season, including Juventus and Napoli.
Udinese travel to the Italian capital having been held at home by SPAL on Sunday. It was a disappointing 1-1 draw and that result means Udinese have been held by teams in the bottom half of the table in their last two matches.
However, trends show Udinese are undefeated in their last four Serie A games, drawing two and winning two, with the victories coming at home against Hellas Verona and away to Bologna. In fact, Udinese have lost only one of their last nine matches in all competitions, which was a 1-0 defeat at Napoli in Serie A.
Much like their hosts, scoring goals has not been a problem for Udinese recently and they have netted in each of their last seven league games. They have also conceded in four of their last five Serie A matches and will need to tighten up defensively if they are to take something from this game.
Team news and Lazio will be without striker Felipe Caicedo and defensive midfielder Davide de Gennaro. Attacking midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is one yellow card away from suspension, so will need to watch his step in this match.
Udinese have four players on the treatment table and Gabriele Angella, Valon Behrami, Ali Adnan and Rodrigo Aguirre are all expected to miss the game for the visitors. Danilo is one yellow card away from suspension.
Udinese have been on a decent unbeaten run in Serie A but this will be their biggest test since the defeat at Napoli. Expect Lazio to come out on top in this game with the possibility of over 2.5 goals being scored.
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