Lazio have been handed an unmissable opportunity to win back-to-back Serie A games for the first time this season, as they face one of their more convenient rivals – Torino, who also happen to be completely out of shape.
Lazio’s six-point haul in five Serie A rounds comes close to their worst season start in the last decade, evidencing the continuous struggle to find any consistency, which also cost them European football last season. But with the absence of mid-week tasks, the Eagles should be much better in the domestic league than they’ve been. With two wins and three losses, Lazio need this win for some confidence, and it is a good thing that their recent record against Torino is mostly positive.
The Bull sits just below Lazio in the table, with a single win in five rounds. What’s most noticeable is the negative goal difference – Torino have conceded the tied-most goals across five games (10). Their only win to date was a shocking 1-0 away at Roma, but we should also mention that Torino had the most horrible schedule out of all Serie A teams. They played Inter, Fiorentina, Roma, and Atalanta in the first four rounds. And their next task sends them back to Rome, but fans can have some cautious optimism after the recent triumphant visit to Stadio Olimpico.
How the bookies view it: Lazio to go B2B
Bookies placed their trust in Lazio and the best part is there is still some good value in the odds if you decide to back the Eagles. You can pick them at 7/10, while Torino are available at 17/4. And since draws have been quite common between these rivals, you can also opt for the draw at 13/5.
Recent head-to-head: Torino won 1/10
As mentioned above, we’ve seen quite a few stalemates in recent years, but the record generally favours Lazio. The Eagles have lost only one of the last 10 H2Hs and it was in 2023. In turn, they won four times, which means there were five draws as well. Most clashes were tight, but mostly because Torino were defending well and Lazio couldn’t find a solution.
Players to watch: Provedel saved Lazio more than once
This is definitely not the match you’re looking for if you want to make player bets. Lazio failed to score in 3/5 matches this season, and the one player who made the difference in the wins over Verona and Genoa was Taty Castellanos, who now has two goals and three assists. But he’s been a hit or miss this season. On a good day, he is spectacular to watch, but he’s just as likely to be invisible in the final third.
There is one valid option but its availability depends on the bookmaker. Betano have a market for goalkeeper saves and Lazio’s Ivan Provedel has been extremely busy this season. He has made the most saves in Serie A after five rounds (20), and Betano has an offer at 2/1 for him to make 3+ saves against Torino. He covered the line in 4/5 matches this season and we already know this will be a tight game.
Probable line-ups
Lazio: Provedel, Pellegrini, Gila, Romagnoli, Marusic, Basic, Cataldi, Cancellieri, Dia, Zaccagni, Castellanos
Torino: Israel, Biraghi, Maripan, Coco, Asllani, Casadei, Lazaro, Nkounkou, Ngonge, Simeone, Vlasic
Anything else catch the eye?
While last season’s H2Hs featured some action and goals on both ends, we can’t find a reason to expect the same in this match. Both sides have had Over 2.5 goals in two out of five matches, and neither of Lazio’s fixtures featured goals from both sides. Moreover, Torino are yet to score a goal in the first half of a match, making it even less likely that we will see a spectacular performance. It's more likely that we see Lazio clutch a hard-fought 1-0.
GambleAware