This is going to be one of the most interesting matchups of this stage. Two of the potential darkhorses for winning this competition are already facing in the round of 16. Both of them highly inconsistent, with huge potential, but often so disappointing. According to most of the experts, chances for progressing to the next phase are 50-50, which makes this pair even more exciting to watch. And to bet on it also.
The teams are entering this clash in opposite moods. Lazio has a couple of wins in a row, while Seville didn’t record a triumph in three straight events. When looking at this competition, the Italians finished second in Group H, behind Eintracht Frankfurt, securing the knockout stage without problems, while Sevilla won Group J a bit harder than anyone thought.
The Sky-Blues have two straight wins at the moment, and if we add that they eliminated Inter from Coppa Italia after the penalties, we could say that in fact, those are three triumphs in a row. All three events ended with under 1.5 goals, with the note that recent wins were minimal, 1-0. Four of the previous five games at Olimpico finished with both teams to score, and that was their main problem this year. Lazio can’t protect its own net, and if weren’t for a solid attack, their results would have been much worse. They allowed 11 goals in 6 Europa League clashes, which tells you pretty much everything.
At one moment, it seemed that Rojoblancos are going to be a worthy challenger in the Spanish La Liga. They were playing very good, but at some point, they just collapsed. Not quite the same, but a similar scenario happened in the Europa League. They were one of the main contenders for winning the trophy, but as time went by, those predictions were utterly changed. They had to wait until the last round to secure the first place, and the way they played throughout the group stage wasn’t very convincing. Currently, Sevilla has two losses and one draw over the recent three events, and one of those defeats was at Camp Nou when Barca destroyed them with 6:1. But what is worse, are the four straight failures on the road, with only one goal scored during that span, and 11 conceded.
What could be a big blow for the home team is Ciro Immobile’s hip injury. The prolific striker is still doubtful for Thursday’s game. Jordan Lukaku also, and the latest addition on the injury list is Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who was listed doubtful as we speak. With and without them on the court, this team is not the same. Nolito is out for Sevilla, Guilherme Arana also, while Parreu might show up. Maxime Gonalons will be ready.
Lazio and Sevilla will play for the first time this Thursday.
The bookies see Lazio as a slight favorite in this clash. Odds on their success are 2.40. Sevilla to win stands at 2.90, while a draw is 3.25.
Take those odd with a certain dose of reserves. If Lazio appears without Immobile, SMS, and Lukaku, they are going to be the underdogs in this clash. We strongly recommend waiting until the last minute before placing bets on this match, so that you can see the starting lineup of the Italian team. If at least two guys play, it will be a close one, if not, then Sevilla has the upper edge. In order to avoid all the problems regarding that, goals should be in your focus. Both teams to score is the best bet here. Lazio has a shaky defense; the guests also have problems in recent times when it comes to protecting their net, which points toward that solution. As for the final outcome, a draw is the most suitable if Sky-Blues don’t have many injured players, Lazio – Sevilla 1:1.