CFR Cluj vs Lazio
UEFA Europa League Conference, KO: 17:45 Feb 23, 2023, Stadionul Dr Constantin Radulescu
Lazio hold a slim advantage as they travel to CFR Cluj for the second leg of their Europa Conference League knockout playoff. Lazio have shown some good form in recent weeks and will be confident of doing the double over their Romanian hosts.
It was a disappointing outing for Cluj in the first leg as they were beaten 1-0 in the Italian capital. Despite an early red card to Lazio, they failed to create too many chances and could only manage a single attempt on target.
CFR Cluj made a swift return to winning ways as they claimed a 3-1 victory over Arges in a Liga 1 fixture last Sunday. It was a vital result for Dan Petrescu’s men as it ended a run of three straight defeats across all competitions.
The victory over Arges also ended a run of three straight home matches without a win for CFR Cluj. A couple of 1-0 defeats to Hermannstadt and FC Bucharest are among their results in that run.
Lazio will be disappointed not to have won by more in the first leg after claiming a 1-0 victory. Despite an early red card to Patric, they still dominated the contest and had chances to score but, in the end, Ciro Immobile’s first half effort proved the difference.
Having struggled in recent weeks, Lazio are slowly returning to their best form and have won their last two matches. They claimed a 2-0 victory at Salernitana in Serie A last Sunday with Ciro Immobile getting both goals.
Immobile’s return to form could not have come at a better time as Lazio head into the business end of the season. No less important is their new found defensive solidity having kept clean sheets in their last two matches across all competitions.
How the bookies view it
Lazio are considered favourites among the bookies and priced at evens with Unibet. A victory for CFR Cluj is valued at 3/1 with bet365 while a draw is set at odds of 23/10 by Paddy Power.
Head to head
Lazio have won the last two meetings with CFR Cluj, although they suffered a 2-1 defeat on their last visit to Romania during the group stage of the 2019/20 Europa League.
Players to watch
The Lazio faithful will be pleased to see Ciro Immobile back among the goals as he has now scored three times in his last two matches. Bet365 has the striker at odds of 7/5 to find the net on Thursday.
Lazio have also impressed at the other end of the pitch with clean sheets in their last two matches. Although Patric is suspended, the Italians still have enough quality at the back with Nicolo Casale and can be tipped to keep a clean sheet at 5/4 with bet365.
Anything else catch the eye?
Given Lazio’s new found defensive solidity and with CFR Cluj not particularly convincing going forward, BTTS NO can be considered at 8/11 with bet365. The Italians have also won to nil in their last two matches and could be set for a repeat at 9/4 with Unibet.
Lazio led at the break in the first leg and could be tipped to claim a halftime win on Thursday at 6/4 with Paddy Power.
This UEFA Europa League Conference match between CFR Cluj and Lazio will be played on Feb 23, 2023 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best CFR Cluj vs Lazio prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
