Lazio vs Torino
The coming weekend is the final game week of the calendar year, and the Italian top flight has some interesting fixtures in store for many football fans. With Juventus seemingly running away with the title once again, the remaining top clubs in Serie A are engaged in a dogfight for the Champions League and Europa League spots.
Of the ten games that will be playing over the weekend, one of the most intriguing fixtures easily is the upcoming clash between Lazio and Torino. Both sides are at the top half of the table, though Lazio are more successful than their guests.
We can expect Torino to battle for a positive result at the Stadio Olimpico, but we should not forget that I Biancocelesti have a supreme ace in their hands. Join us here at SBOBET as we explore the compelling storylines behind this compelling fixture.
Talking Points
Lazio must win to keep their CL spot
Lazio have always been one of the better teams in the Italian top flight. They have not experienced relegation to Serie B over the past eighteen years, and I don’t think things are going to change any moment now.
However, many Lazio supporters have been frustrated with the way things have unravelled on the pitch over the past couple of seasons. While they have always finished above the top ten since the 2010/11 season, they have only qualified for the Champions League during the 2014/15 campaign.
Moreover, their form as of late has taken a bit of a dip. The strong run they enjoyed from October to early November was cut short by a series of frustrating results against clubs such as Sassuolo and Milan. The streak extended until December as they endured back-to-back defeats in the Europa League and their domestic league.
However, it seemed like their elimination from the Europa League helped them regain their focus. They dominated Cagliari in front of a half-capacity crowd. Simone Inzaghi’s team followed that up with a comfortable away win over Bologna, managed Simone’s brother Filippo.
While Lazio undoubtedly have the home advantage in this match, they need their stars to step up. Ciro Immobile is ever the consistent attacking option with his ten goals, but he is not alone in this fight. Young midfield sensation Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has established himself as one of the best players in the squad and will be expected to do a lot of heavy lifting in the midfield.
Il Toro must bully their way in
Torino have always been shadowed by their more dominant neighbours, be it on the current league table, the places they finished over the past fifteen years or the latest Derby della Molle. However, that doesn’t mean that they are not putting up a fight against the rest of the league.
There is a reason why the Bulls are still among the better clubs in the league despite not qualifying for the past six campaigns in the top flight: they have always been able to find top-quality players to help them win games.
Their latest star player is easily Andrea Belotti. The 25-year-old, purchased from Palermo in 2015, has flourished under Il Toro. While he suffered a scoring slump last season, he is currently on pace to edge closer to his fantastic 2016/17 season.
While he is the only bright spot in the team, players such as Armando Izzo, Ola Aina and Soualijo Meite have supplied reliable performances. Moreover, they have bounced back from their narrow Juventus loss in style: they followed up their 1-1 draw to Sassuolo with a 3-0 schooling of Empoli at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.
History
Lazio are placed higher than Torino in the table, and Lazio vs Torino results support the ranking they currently have.
Of the last 33 matches they have played so far in the season, 15 of those were won by I Biancocelesti while seven were won by the Turin guests. However, it is important to note that they have split points eleven times, and seven of those featured Torino playing in front of a hostile Lazio crowd.
Torino’s December 2017 triumph against Lazio is proof that Il Toro can definitely play winning football against a club as established as Lazio. Moreover, Torino only lost via a second-half goal by Milinkovic-Savic in their April 2018 clash.
Betting Tip
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Lazio vs Torino | Torino First Half Asian Handicap +0.25 @ 1.92 |
| December 29 22:00 (GMT+8) |
Lazio are easy favourites to win the match, and Lazio vs Torino odds in leading online bookmakers also list them as such. However, it is important to note that the Asian Handicap market gives a lot of credit to Walter Mazzarri’s squad.
Lazio have 1.80 in the 1X2 market and -0.75 @ 2.03 in the Asian Handicap front. The fact that Torino have had a better six-game stretch means that a draw is definitely in the books.
I still think that Lazio will easily take the cake in this game as they have a prolific striker and midfielder in their ranks. However, I see Torino holding down the fort in the first half and heading to the locker room in a deadlock.
The Total Goals and Over Under markets also have interesting odds for those who want to win big.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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