Celtic – Lazio : Preview & Prediction
A 2-0 loss to Feyenoord in Celtic’s first UEFA Champions League (UCL) game was their only setback in an otherwise perfect month of September (G4), a stretch that culminated in a dramatic 2-1 Scottish Premiership win over Motherwell on Saturday. October begins on the European stage at Celtic Park, a ground that manager Brendan Rodgers praised as a “special place” on European nights ahead of the visit of Lazio.
It will be even more special if Celtic can repeat the pair of 2-1 wins they managed against Lazio in the 2019/20 Europa League group stage, but with a mixed bag of home results against Italian opponents (G5, E5, P4), it’s anyone’s guess whether they can. A run of ten games without a home win at this stage of the UCL dating back to the 2013/14 campaign (E2, P8) would suggest not, with seven of those matches also seeing them go scoreless.
Lazio themselves were blanked at the weekend in a 2-0 loss to AC Milan, extending their miserable start to the Serie A season (G2, E1, P4). At least they got arguably the highlight of the opening day of the UCL, when goalkeeper Ivan Provedel scored a 95th-minute equalizer against Atletico Madrid, a goal that was enough to extend their unbeaten streak in UCL group stage matches to seven (G2, E5).
Incredible as it may seem, you would have to go back to the 2003/04 season to see Lazio’s last away win in a UCL group stage, when they beat Beşiktaş 2-0. Perhaps it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to expect some similarities in that match, particularly in the number of goals, with Lazio’s last four official matches seeing exactly two goals scored in total.
Players to watch: Celtic’s Matt O’Riley will be looking to translate his form at home, which has earned him a new contract, to the European stage, having scored in his last three league games, each time after the FIFA break. Lazio can look to Ciro Immobile for goalscoring inspiration, but he has recorded more yellow cards (two) than goals (one) in his last three starts.
Key stat: In only one of Celtic’s last seven games have both teams scored.
Celtic – Lazio : Betting Tips
Celtic – Win Odds: 2.55
