The second leg of the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League Round of 16 between Lazio (Italy) and Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic) will take place on March 13 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The first match ended 2-1 in favor of Lazio. Lazio vs. Viktoria Plzen: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Lazio
Marco Baroni's side won the first leg 2-1, scoring the decisive goal in the eighth minute of added time while playing with nine men. This victory marked Lazio's seventh in the current Europa League campaign—the best among all participants. However, the club has not kept a clean sheet in their last four matches in this tournament. To advance to the next round, the Romans need to avoid defeat in regular time. Notably, the team has not reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League since the 2017/18 season.
- The club has not lost in regular time in their last 12 home matches in the Europa League (7 wins, 5 draws).
- At least three goals have been scored in 7 of the last 8 home games in this European competition.
- The Romans have scored at least twice in regular time in 7 of their last 8 home matches in the Europa League.
Predicted lineup for Lazio (4-2-3-1)
Ivan Provedel – Adam Marusic, Samuel Gigot, Alessio Romagnoli, Nuno Tavares – Nicolo Rovella, Matteo Guendouzi – Gustav Isaksen, Boulaye Dia, Pedro Rodriguez – Tejani Noslin.
Defender Elseid Hysaj and forward Valentin Castellanos will miss the game due to injuries. Defender Samuel Gigot and midfielder Nicolo Rovella are suspended.
Viktoria Plzen
Miroslav Koubek's side, having lost the first match, suffered their fourth defeat in the current Europa League campaign—only Ajax has lost more among the remaining clubs (5). Viktoria's high scoring ability is noteworthy: including qualifiers, the club has scored in 13 of 15 matches in the current Europa League. To advance to the next round, the Czechs need to win by at least two goals in regular time, and if they win by one goal, extra time will be played. It is also worth mentioning that the team has never reached the quarter-finals of Europe's second-tier competition.
- The team has not won in regular time in 9 of their last 12 away matches in the Europa League (3 draws, 6 losses).
- At least three goals have been scored in 5 of the last 7 away games in this European competition.
- Both opponents scored in regular time in 5 of Viktoria's last 7 away matches in the Europa League.
Predicted lineup for Viktoria Plzen (3-5-2)
Martin Jedlicka – Vaclav Jemelka, Svetozar Markovic, Sampson Dweh – Amar Memic, Pavel Sulc, Lukas Cerv, Lukas Kalvach, Cadu Cruz – Matej Vydra, Rafiu Durosinmi.
Lazio vs. Viktoria Plzen: Match Prediction
At home, the Romans focus on creative play and, supported by their fans, create many opportunities up front. Scoring goals is rarely a problem for Lazio: in 7 of their last 8 home matches in the Europa League, the team not only scored but did so at least twice. However, in the same number of home games in this competition, the Italian club also conceded—defensive play is not fully successful for the Romans.
Viktoria, even away, strives to play actively in attack and cause as many problems as possible for the opponents' defense. In the last seven away matches in the Europa League, the team left the field without scoring only once, and in four cases during this period, the Czechs scored at least twice. At the same time, the club's defensive actions are not always reliable: in 11 of their last 12 away matches in this European competition, the Czechs failed to keep a clean sheet.
Considering all pre-match scenarios, I expect a high-scoring game in this encounter. My prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
