Fresh from their victory in the Rome derby, Lazio will host Lokomotiv Moscow in their second UEFA Europa League group stage fixture at Stadio Olimpico. Lazio will take plenty of confidence from their performance against their bitter city rivals and should have too much for Lokomotiv.
Lazio began their Europa League campaign with a 1-0 defeat away at Galatasaray courtesy of an error from goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha. That result was part of a winless run that extended to four matches across all competitions.
The Italians returned to winning ways in fine style in Serie A with the 3-2 victory over bitter rivals Roma in the derby. A fast start saw Sergei Milinkovic-Savic and Pedro get on the score sheet before the break while Felipe Anderson added the third in the second half.
Maurizio Sarri’s men are generally solid at home and are unbeaten in their last five matches at the Stadio Olimpico. They have won two of their last three matches in that run with the biggest win a 6-1 triumph over Spezia in Serie A.
Lokomotiv Moscow played out a 1-1 draw with Marseille in their opening fixture in the Europa League. They fell behind just after the restart and needed a late equaliser from Tino Anjorin to salvage a point.
The Russian were fortunate to earn that point on match day one as Marseille were dominant throughout the contest. The result was also the start of a three-match winless run for Marko Nikolic's men, who have not been at their best lately.
Lokomotiv Moscow’s recent problems have also seen them struggle in attack as they have failed to score in their last two matches. They head into Thursday’s clash off the back of a 0-0 draw against Khimki in the Russian Premier League.
How the bookies view it
Lazio have the advantage among the bookies at 2/5 with novibet while a victory for Lokomotiv Moscow is valued at 9/1 by SBK. A draw is set at odds of 9/2 by SBK.
Lazio have the quality to break down stubborn defences and with Lokomotiv Moscow struggling in attack lately, the Italians should have the edge here.
Head to head
This will be the first ever meeting between Lazio and Lokomotiv Moscow.
Players to watch
Ciro Immobile remains the one to watch for Lazio having scored six Serie A goals this season. The striker will be keen to carry his scoring form into Europe and can be backed to find the net on Thursday at 7/10 with SBK.
Fyodor Smolov has six goals in the Russian Premier League and could be worth keeping an eye on for Lokomotiv Moscow. Unibet has the striker at odds of 15/4 to find the net on Thursday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Lokomotiv Moscow’s recent struggles in attack mean Lazio could be tipped to keep a clean sheet at evens with Paddy Power. The Italians could also be backed to earn a win to nil at 6/5 with bet365.
Given Lazio’s knack for scoring multiple goals at home, a -1 handicap could also be considered at 11/10 with novibet.
This UEFA Europa League match between Lazio and Lokomotiv Moscow will be played on Sep 30, 2021 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Lazio vs Lokomotiv Moscow prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
