UEFA Champions League: Lazio vs. Zenit Preview, Odds, Prediction

Lazio and Zenit meet again after a draw in the first leg. This is the battle for the second spot in Group F, and if Zenit loses this event, the Russians are out of the race. The Italians are perfectly aware of that, but they have several significant problems regarding absent players. International duties and COVID-19 created a big confusion in Rome. On the other side, Zenit is in a bad place, experiencing mixed results, and some slips they didn’t count on.

Preview

Lazio (-160) defeated Crotone this weekend, 0-2 on the road, with Correa and Immobile both netting one goal in each half. Lately, the Eagles played lots of games on the road, which affected their results. Even though Inzaghi’s side didn’t lose for seven straight during that stretch, they posted just four wins.

One of their draws was against Zenit in the first leg, 1-1. The other was in Brugge also in the UCL, with the third one coming against Juventus in Serie A.

The game vs. Crotone was the first one after six in a row without both sides netting, and overall in the previous 10, Lazio played 8 such events.

Zenit (+400) comes to Italy after 2-2 on the road in Akhmat Grozny. It wasn’t the result the Lions hoped for, but this rival is in great shape lately, and there was no need for self-criticism for not taking all three points back home.

After three straight losses, the Russian champ had two wins and draws each, and to be honest, apart from the win against Krasnodar, 3-1, none of their performances was memorable.

That description can be applied to all of their road matches, with Zenit having just one triumph away from home in the previous seven games. The Lions wouldn’t lose too many games either, only two, but still, the champion of Russia needs to be better.

One stat when it comes to the efficiency, the game against Akhmat was the first following eight consecutive that saw fewer than three goals.

Latest News

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is out due to COVID, Luiz Felipe might be back if his results are ready, the same as goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha. Silvio Proto, the starting GK, is out for sure, the same as Lulic and Escalante.

Sardar Azmoun is questionable for the guests, and his absence would be a major blow. The same situation is with Sebastian Druissi, who is one of the most important players in Zenit.

Head to Head Matches

The opening game ended 1-1. Zenit took the lead through Erokhin in the first half, and had a few more chances to double the advantage. With eight minutes to go, Filip Caidedo leveled the result, setting the final score.

Prediction

Lazio is a better team, and they play at home, which is a big factor here. The Russian champs are mediocre away from Gazprom Arena and against a bit tougher rivals, they didn’t have any success. Meanwhile, the Eagles are confident at Olimpico, therefore, our pick here is their routine win. Odds on that are set at -160.