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The red hot Lazio will take on Empoli at Stadio Olimpico, looking to pile up the pressure on rivals Roma in the fight for the second place.
Lazio’s unbelievable recent form allowed the hosts to get within a single point of Roma, while also virtually assuring Champions League qualification. Lazio is on the 7 match winning streak in Serie A, allowing just two goals in this timespan and is on the back of a massive 1-0 win at Napoli in the Coppa Italia midweek. It`s really hard to find any flaws in Lazio’s game right now, the team is excellent in all aspects – from defense, to offense and tactical consistency.
Empoli has nothing left to fight for in these closing stages of the season, the visitors are sitting comfortably on the 14th place, 11 points clear of relegation. Empoli is on the back of a 0-2 loss at Juventus, their first defeat since January. We`re talking about a solid team here, very uncomfortable to play against and very hard to defeat – only 4 teams in the whole Serie A have less defeats than Empoli, which is simply incredible for a side placed 14th in the league. On the other hand, the visitors have by far the most draws in Serie A, 15 – which is a percentage of more than 50% of their games.
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Team news & lineups:
Stefan Radu, Basta, Mauricio, Djordjevic, Gentiletti, Marchetti, Konko and Onazi are all unavailable for selections for Lazio. The visitors will have to do without Verdi and Guarente, while Barba is a major doubt.
Lazio: Berisha – Cavanda, De Vrij, Cana, Braafheid – Parolo, Biglia, Mauri, Candreva – Anderson, Klose
Empoli: Sepe – Hysaj, Rugani, Tonelli, Rui – Vecino, Valdifiori, Croce – Saponara – Pucciarelli, Maccarone
I think it’s pretty dangerous to jump on the Lazio bandwagon today. Lazio has a long list of injuries, with some of them being fresh. The defense is particularly hurt, so the hosts could be exposed to Empoli’s famous counterattacks. The weakened lineup will be an even bigger problem considering the crowded schedule that Lazio had recently and their very tough trip to Napoli just a few days ago. I reckon Empoli has the opportunity to take advantage of these issues that Lazio has and can produce a shock at Olimpico. Lazio’s excellent run will obviously stop at some point and this looks like the perfect “unexpected” moment for that to happen.
My tip on this one is Empoli to cover a 1 goal asian handicap. As far as I`m concerned they should be able to escape with a draw and at the worst case Lazio will edge out a very close game. Prediction: Lazio – Empoli 1-1.
Pick: Empoli (+1 Asian Handicap)
Odds: 2.09 @ Ladbrokes
Stake: 8
Possible profit: 8.72
Event date: 12 April
