The second leg of the 2024/25 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, betting odds, and statistics.
Lazio
Marco Baroni's side won the first leg 2-1, scoring the decisive goal in the eighth minute of added time, despite being reduced to nine men. This victory marked Lazio's seventh win in the current Europa League campaign, the best among all participants. However, the club has failed to keep 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 Europa League matches (7 wins, 5 draws).
- At least three goals have been scored in 7 of Lazio's 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 – Teijani 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 suffered their fourth defeat in the current Europa League campaign in the first leg, with only Ajax losing more (5) among the remaining clubs. Viktoria's scoring ability is noteworthy: including qualification, the club has scored in 13 of their 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. The team has never reached the quarter-finals of the second-tier European competition before.
- The team has not won in regular time in 9 of their last 12 away Europa League matches (3 draws, 6 losses).
- At least three goals have been scored in 5 of Viktoria's last 7 away games in this European competition.
- Both teams have 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.
Referee
Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
Matches – 6 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 22;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.7;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 33%.
Lazio vs. Viktoria Plzen: Match Prediction
At home, Lazio plays with an emphasis on creating chances and, with the support of their fans, generates many opportunities up front. Scoring goals is rarely a problem for Lazio: in 7 of their last 8 home Europa League matches, 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 – their defensive play is not entirely reliable.
Even away, Viktoria tries to play actively in attack and cause as many problems as possible for the opponent's defense. In their last seven away Europa League matches, the team has only once left the field without scoring, and in four cases during this period, the Czechs scored at least twice. Meanwhile, the club's defensive actions are not always reliable: in 11 of their last 12 away games in this competition, the Czechs have failed to keep a clean sheet.
Considering all pre-match factors, I expect a high-scoring game in this encounter. My prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
