Lazio could be dark horses in this season's UEFA Europa League and they kick off their campaign with a clash against Dynamo Kiev in Germany.
The Serie A side are seventh in the betting for the tournament at 16/1 and have a squad capable of going far under new boss Marco Baroni.
Lazio's form in Serie A has been patchy, with two wins, two defeats and a draw from five games, but they should still have too much quality for Dynamo.
I wasn't impressed by the Ukrainians as they knocked Rangers out in Champions League qualifying and it was no surprise when RB Salzburg then beat Dynamo in the play-offs to bring up a bet for Andy.
That saw them drop into the Europa League and with ‘home' games still be played on neutral soil due to the conflict back home, it's hard to see Dynamo Kiev getting to the knockout stages.
They certainly won't lack in effort and pride though so Lazio will have to put on a good display to get off to a winning start.
How the bookies view it: Roman conquest on the cards
Lazio are odds-on favourites for this one at 37/40 with Betano but you can get them at 21/20 with 888Sport and that looks well worth a punt. Dynamo Kiev are 12/5 outsiders at Betano and the draw pays 9/4.
Head to head: Lazio bossing it
These sides have faced off four times in Europe and Lazio have yet to suffer a defeat, claiming three wins and a draw. The last meeting came in the Europa League back in 2018 and the Italians won 2-0 on the road after a 2-2 draw in Rome.
Players to watch: Boulaye on the ball
Boulaye Dia has started the season in fine form for Lazio, netting four times in five games so far. The Senegalese striker is 29/20 at Betano to keep his hot streak going in the UEFA Europa League opener.
Vladyslav Vanat netted twice for Dynamo Kiev in Champions League qualifying and should start here despite struggling for goals in domestic games. He's 13/5 for anytime scorer which looks a little overpriced.
Probable line-ups
Valentin Castellanos could return for Lazio after sitting out the weekend loss to Fiorentina. Defender Samuel Gigot also missed that match with a shoulder injury and is a doubt. Stopper Denys Popov could miss out for Dynamo Kiev with a back injury.
Dynamo Kiev: Bushchan, Karavayev, Bliovar, Mykhavko, Dubinchak, Brazhko, Shaparenko, Buyalskyi, Yarmolenko, Vanat, Kabayev
Lazio: Provedel, Lazzari, Patric, Romagnoli, Tavares, Guendouzi, Vecino, Zaccagni, Nsolin, Isaksen, Dia.
Anything else catch the eye?
Lazio haven't kept any clean sheets this season, with over 2.5 goals and BTTS landing in all five of their games so far. Backing both teams to score here pays just 4/6 with Betano but adding over 2.5 strikes to that boosts the odds to 11/10 with Bet365.
The Italian giants had four players carded in their weekend loss to Fiorentina and aren't shy from putting the boot in. Dynamo Kiev could also steam into a few tackles so it may pay to back a busy night for the ref. Over 5.5 cards pays evens with Bet365 and that looks worth a punt in what could be a spicy one.
This UEFA Europa League match between Dynamo Kiev and Lazio will be played on Sep 25, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Dynamo Kiev vs Lazio prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
