Serie A: Will Torino Finally Get Their First?

Torino vs Lazio

The fixtures come in thick and fast here in Serie A. And this Saturday night, we will be in for a treat as Torino host Lazio over at the Olimpico di Torino.

The hosts are still searching for their first win here in the 2020/21 season. They haven’t done so well in their first four matches, and now they find themselves in the drop zone alongside Crotone and Udinese with only one point to show.

Lazio are of course above them, although they haven’t been doing so well too by their lofty standards. Their early Serie A 2020 results have offered a mixed bag, and now they are only at the 12^th spot with seven markers.

With Italy still being hit hard by COVID-19, there were some rumours that this match might be postponed similar to what happened between Juventus and Napoli earlier for precautionary purposes.

But hopefully things will get better, and we here at SBOTOP can’t wait for these two proud clubs to go head-to-head once more.

Read on below to learn more about the latest updates between Torino and Lazio.

opacity 0

CLICK HERE
TO SEE UPDATED ODDS

LIGUE 1

Talking Points

Torino have concerns on and off the field

Despite Torino losing three of their first four matches, team manager Marco Giampaolo continues to preach patience over to the fans and even the management.

The veteran tactician was brought over at the helm prior to this season with hopes of guiding Il Toro to bigger heights, months after his disastrous spell in AC Milan.

But so far his team has yet to hit their stride as they were beaten badly by Fiorentina, Atalanta, and Cagliari. And recently, they squandered their opportunity to win when Sassuolo came roaring back courtesy of late goals from Vlad Chiriches and Francesco Caputo.

“Sassuolo are the kind of team that force you to play badly because they pass it better than anyone else,” said Giampaolo during the post-match interview.

“I do think this game strengthened our resolve, though, as Toro showed great spirit of sacrifice. We played with faith in our capabilities and the team put in a strong performance,” he added.

Giampaolo is hopeful that their recent draw will somehow give them momentum ahead of Sunday.

But other than their play on the field, Il Toro would need to address their contract situation with their top striker Andrea Belotti.

Belotti has been linked to multiple clubs such as Inter Milan and Tottenham and his future with Torino remains up in the air.

Ciro Immobile celebrates scoring the winner against Bologna in Serie A — Lazio’s Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro celebrates scoring their third goal with Ciro Immobile

Lazio decimated by the coronavirus

The Biancocelesti’s chances of contending for the Scudetto this year will take a major hit due to unfortunate recent developments.

Due to the alarming COVID-19 situation in Italy and injuries, Lazio’s rotation has been depleted with their key players such as Ciro Immobile, Luis Alberto, Lucas Leiva, Thomas Strakosha, Djavan Anderson, and Manuel Lazzari all being sidelined.

Even with an undermanned roster, Simone Inzaghi’s men churned out a 1-1 draw versus Club Brugge in the Europa League group stage.

Joaquin Correa scored their only goal during the 14^th minute, but a bad mistake at the 42^nd minute cost Lazio the three points.

Centre-back Patric grappled Mats Rits during a set-piece, which led to a penalty to which Hans Vanaken scored.

Lazio will come in this weekend with loads of fatigue, and this may open an opportunity for Torino to take advantage.

History

Torino and Lazio have faced off in 31 matches prior to this weekend.

Lazio own the edge in the overall head-to-heads with 15 victories, while Torino won in six games along with 10 draws.

Goals have been abundant for these two sides in their last three matches. But for the most part, this has always been a defencive slugfest despite having a couple of dangerous attackers.

Betting Tip

	Torino vs Lazio	Torino Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 2.26
	November 01, 22:00 (GMT+8)

The Serie A 2020 odds see this as a tighter match than expected as Torino are priced at 2.50, while Lazio are pegged at 2.79 and a draw is at 3.20 in the 1×2 market.

Goals won’t come in bunches for this one, which is why I will also recommend you place your wagers on Under 2.50 @ 1.74 or even Total Goal 2-3 @ 2.37.

With Lazio facing major lineup concerns, I would recommend going for a Torino victory – and it will be a grinded-out affair.

However, things might turn around if Simone Inzaghi will have most of his men back in the rotation. But as of the moment, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see of what happens in the next few days.