Lazio vs Atl. Madrid prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-09-18 19:00.
Lazio are celebrating their first participation in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) since 2020/21, with the Biancocelesti hoping to repeat their unbeaten run in the group stage which saw them progress to the Round of 16. Coach Maurizio Sarri will hope his team can draw inspiration from those performances after a rather disappointing start to the Serie A (SA) season (W1, L3).
That poor start culminated in a 3-1 defeat to Juventus after the international break, but Lazio are usually strong at home in European competitions. Not only are they unbeaten in their last three home UCL Group stage matches, but they have also avoided defeat in six UEFA Europa League home Group stage matches since (W3, D3), making the Stadio Olimpico a daunting trip for any side.
Atlético Madrid will be the first team to visit the Italian capital in Group E, and they enter their 11th consecutive UCL season after successfully proceeding to the Round of 16 in eight of the last ten campaigns. As overwhelming favourites to win the group, it would be an enormous failure if they were to be eliminated at the group stage for a second consecutive time after finishing fourth in Group B last term.
In that horrendous campaign, Atlético lost each of their three away UCL matches, scoring just once. They’ve started this campaign on the road much better with back-to-back clean sheets including an impressive 7-0 victory at Rayo Vallecano, but suffered their first defeat of the season at the most inappropriate time when going down 3-0 to Valencia at the weekend. And with a game against fierce rivals Real Madrid lurking in the wake of this clash, Atlético will want to rediscover their form quickly.
Players to watch: Lazio’s Luis Alberto scored in back-to-back matches for the first time since last September, with six of his last seven goals arriving beyond the hour mark. Álvaro Morata has already netted three goals for Atlético this term and has contributed to six strikes in his eight career matches against Lazio (G3, A3).
Hot stat: Atlético failed to score before half-time in seven of their last eight UCL matches.