Marseille vs Lazio: The Romans will win even without Immobile

Marseille and Lazio were favourites to win their UEFA Europa League stage at the outset, but neither side has been able to top the table so far. The upcoming encounter could be the key to the play-offs.

Judging by the quality of play displayed by Marseille this season, they are one of the best clubs in France right now. Yes, it’s incredibly difficult to compete with PSV, but the team is currently in 3rd place in the table, and the chances of staying in the top three are quite high. Marseille consistently create chances, but the defence has been slumping of late. As a result, the team has won only two victories in the previous five games - the other encounters ended in a draw. In the three rounds of the Europa League, the Olympians side has drawn three times, thereby jeopardizing their place in the group. At least for now, all the strongest players are fit, and the coach even chooses who to put in the starting line-up for the match against Lazio.

Marseille defeated Clermont 1-0 in the last round of Ligue 1. Jorge Sampaoli’s men could have taken the lead on 14 minutes, but Bamba Dieng missed a great opportunity to score. Soon, Cengiz Under led the Provençal side ahead, and he could have doubled the lead in the match’s closing stages. There was also some luck. Yes, the opponents took more shots from a distance, but on 66 minutes, a serious mistake in defense could have cost Marseille two points. Pau Lopez reacted to Allevinah’s shot - the only save by the Spanish goalkeeper in the match.

Lazio have been unstable this season. They can easily beat Roma or Inter in Serie A and then hand points to a club at the bottom of the table. The Romans are adept at creating goalscoring opportunities, with only the defence failing miserably at times. The capital club is still in 2nd place in the Europa League group, with 4 points in 3 meetings. In the home league, Lazio are still sixth, and in 6 games in all competitions, they have won 2 victories and suffered two defeats. As for the current squad, Mattia Zaccagni is unavailable, and Ciro Immobile’s participation is highly questionable.

Maurizio Sarri’s charges played out a 2-2 draw with Atalanta on the previous Serie A matchday. Lazio took the lead twice in the game and conceded the second just before the final whistle. Judging by the number of chances, the game was equal, although the Romans managed to inflict almost twice as many shots on goal as their opponent (9:17). Ciro Immobile missed one good chance early in the game but still managed to score. Pedro scored another goal.

Marseille could have conceded at least one goal in the last home game, and Lazio are stronger than Clermont. The Romans looked much sharper than their opponents in the recent encounter so that they could count on at least one goal. Yes, it will be more difficult without Ciro Immobile, but the team has someone who can create a goalscoring chance. Marseille have been very lucky in the last rounds of Ligue 1, and this time their unbeaten streak could be broken. I suggest to wager on the following outcomes:

• Total Over 2.5 goals for 1.90;
• W2 for 3.00;
• Handicap 2 (-1) for 5.80.