It has been a different start to the season for Lazio and Atletico Madrid
The Italians have blown hot and cold in the Serie A this season, while Atletico have been quite good.
SS Lazio started the season on a losing note at Lecce. It was a match they scored first courtesy of Ciro Immobile but a late capitulation in the dying moments of the game saw the home side rally back and score twice in two minutes to claim an opening day win. At Stadio Olimpico for the first home game of the season, Lazio slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Genoa – a game they dominated for large periods.
However, the first win and performance of the season so far came against champions Napoli in Naples just before the international break where they won 2-1. After the resumption of league football, their poor form resumed as they lost 3-1 to Juventus in Turin. They were by far the weaker side and were deservedly beaten by the Bianconeri.
In terms of games at the weekend, it was similar fortune for Atletico Madrid as well.
Atletico Madrid have been excellent this season in the Spanish La Liga. Diego Simeone’s men won two of their opening three games before the international break. The season opener was against Granada and it ended in a 3-1 win for the Rojiblancos. Alvaro Morata, Memphis Depay, and Marcos Llorente got on the scoresheet. The second game of the season at Real Betis finished goalless.
The Madrid side reached seventh heaven just before the international break as they put seven past Rayo Vallecano in one of their biggest wins in recent history. Antoine Griezmann, Correa, Depay, and Molina all got among the goals in the one-sided contest. However, they suffered a humbling 3-0 defeat at the hands of Valencia on Saturday in what was a game to forget ahead of the start of their Champions League campaign.
The last time the two clubs met was 12 years ago and it was in the Europa League – a fixture that Atletico Madrid won over two legs. In total, they have met five times across all competitions, Lazio has a solitary win, Atletico Madrid has three wins, and only one match has ended in a draw. Historically, it shows that the Madrid side has dominated the fixture in the past and that could be the case again on Tuesday.
Lazio lost at home to Genoa last time out, while Atletico Madrid have not lost on the road since May. Any group opener is usually a game that could set the tone for what is to come in the group as we progress. Injuries have done a bit on the Madrid team, while Lazio seems to be better health-wise. Regardless, it should be a good game to watch for the neutrals and both sides will fancy their chances of claiming one over the other. In retrospect though, the Spanish outfit are slight favourites in this match-up, given their pedigree in the competition and quality between both sides, on paper at least. It would now be left for both sides to do their talking on the pitch.
Match tickets
The match at Stadio Olimpico in Rome kicks off on Tuesday 19th September, at 8 PM UK time and it will be shown live on TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport), with coverage starting from around 7 PM.
Atletico Madrid have been excellent in this competition in the past and will be hoping for a bit of success when they travel to Rome. Par for the course, Atletico Madrid should have their fans drumming their support for them in this game.
Lazio’s performances in Europe have not been consistent enough. They played in the Europa League last season, but a late run earned them a second-place finish to earn a spot here. Getting tickets for SS Lazio vs Atletico Madrid tickets should not be difficult to get given the standard of the game. Hence, you are advised to search ticket reselling sites should they be expectedly sold out on each club’s channels.
Team news
Line-ups
Lazio do have a clean bill of health. The Likes of Felipe Anderson, Ciro Immobile, and Luis Alberto are expected to start this group opener. The aforementioned trio will be supported by the likes of Pedro and Kamada as they hope to return to winning ways after the humbling in Turin on Saturday.
SS Lazio: Provedel; Marusic, Casale, Romagnoli, Hysaj; Kamada, Cataldi, Luis Alberto; Felipe Anderson, Immobile, Zaccagni.
Atletico has a number of players missing for them. Striker Memphis Depay has a thigh injury, while defender Caglar Soyuncu is battling a muscle injury. There is a chance that Atletico Madrid will be without former Udinese midfielder Rodrigo De Paul after he was injured on international duty. There will also be a race to see if Koke can make it back in time.
Atlético Madrid: Oblak; Azpilicueta, Savic, Witsel, Hermoso, Riquelme; Llorente, Barrios, Lemar; Morata, Griezmann.
Prediction
Lazio have lost three of the four games they have played this season, winning just one of them. On the other hand, Atletico Madrid have lost just once and it was a heavy one on the road before this UEFA Champions League fixture. Alvaro Morata has scored seven goals in his past seven appearances for the Rojiblancos. Lazio reached the second round in their last appearance in this competition in 2021.
Lazio have conceded in every game this season, while Atletico Madrid have scored in all but one of their games this season. Taking all of that, it should be a game with some number of goals, and Los Rojiblancos could emerge as the winners by full-time.
SS Lazio 1-2 Atletico Madrid
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