AZ Alkmaar vs Lazio prediction: EUROPE: Europa Conference League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2023-03-15 20:00.
AZ Alkmaar sealed a 2-1 victory after conceding the opener last week in Rome, and they now look good to go at least one step further than they managed in last season’s UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) campaign. That first-leg win strengthened AZ’s positive record against Italian opponents (W4, D1, L2) and with a 1-0 Eredivisie success over the weekend keeping the Alkmaarders in the title race, Pascal Jansen’s men should be quietly confident here.
Further spurring that belief is the fact that the only side – previous UECL finalists and Eredivisie leaders Feyenoord – have managed to defeat AZ on their own patch within 90 minutes this season (W13, D5). The European games within that run all ended in victory (W6), and in part helped the Cheese Heads to become the only side to win back-to-back UECL groups.
Lazio’s preparation for this game wasn’t quite as impressive as they played out an uninspired 0-0 draw with Bologna, leaving them just about clinging on to a spot inside Serie A’s top four. Any resurgence from the Eagles here would be nothing short of historic, as on each of the four occasions in which they lost the first leg of a European knockout tie at home, they were ultimately eliminated.
A poor return of just one win from Lazio’s last 16 European road trips only serves to throw more cold water over any hopes they had of keeping the UECL trophy in the city of Rome (W1, D6, L9). Maurizio Sarri’s men enter this clash as tepid favourites though after a run of four consecutive away clean sheets, yet their meagre 33 per cent win-rate against Dutch opposition suggests they may not back it up with aplomb (W3, D2, L4).
Players to watch: Jesper Karlsson has been right in the thick of it lately, contributing to all of AZ’s goals during March (G2, A2). Trying to outdo him will be Pedro, the highly decorated Spaniard can still cut the mustard at 35 years old as he’s shown with four goals across his last seven European outings.
Hot stat: AZ Alkmaar have never been eliminated from a European knockout tie after winning the first leg away from home (W8).