Fiorentina and Lazio square off in a Serie A clash on Saturday with both teams looking to maintain their push for a European football next season.
Fiorentina have suffered a major blow in their quest for a European finish after star striker Dusan Vlahovic sealed a move to Juventus. They are currently seventh, just two points off the top six.
While Fiorentina still have some quality in the likes of Riccardo Sottil and Jose Callejon, neither man has the same numbers as Vlahovic, who has 17 Serie A goals this season. Vincenzo Italiano’s men head into Saturday’s clash off the back of a 1-1 draw at Cagliari with Sottil getting a second half equaliser.
That result means Fiorentina have suffered just one defeat in their last eight Serie A matches. However, defending remains a problem as they have kept just one clean sheet in their last five Serie A matches, conceding eight goals in that run.
Lazio have also looked off colour lately and are currently one place below Fiorentina on goal difference. They travel to the Artemio Franchi off the back of a 0-0 home draw with Atalanta in their previous Serie A fixture.
That result is a pointer to Lazio’s erratic campaign as they have claimed four wins and played out three draws from their last 10 Serie A matches. Maurizio Sarri’s men have fared slightly better on their travels with three wins from their last five away matches.
Like Fiorentina, Lazio have also struggled to maintain their discipline at the back, particularly on their travels. They have kept just one clean sheet in 12 matches on the road this season.
How the bookies view it
Fiorentina have the edge among the bookies at 7/5 with Unibet while a victory for Lazio is valued at 2/1 by BetVictor. SBK is offering odds of 12/5 for a draw.
Head to head
Lazio have a 33-13 advantage with 11 draws from 57 previous matches against Fiorentina. Both teams have claimed one win each in the last two meetings with Lazio earning a 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture back in October.
Players to watch
In the absence of Dusan Vlahovic, Riccardo Sottil could be worth keeping an eye on for Fiorentina having impressed in recent weeks. The young forward was on target last time out against Cagliari and is priced at 9/4 by bet365 to get on the score sheet.
Ciro Immobile has scored 17 Serie A goals for Lazio this season and will be the one to watch on Saturday. The striker has also found the net five times in his last seven appearances against Fiorentina and is valued at 11/10 by bet365 to score.
Anything else catch the eye?
Fiorentina and Lazio were level at the break in the reverse fixture and could be set for another halftime draw at 13/10 with Sport Nation. Given the defensive frailties in both teams, over 2.5 goals could be considered at 4/5 with 10bet while over 3.5 goals is priced at 15/8 with Unibet.
Both teams have a habit of making slow starts, so the second half could be tipped as the highest scoring half at evens with betfair.
This Serie A match between Fiorentina and Lazio will be played on Feb 5, 2022 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Fiorentina vs Lazio prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
