Lazio take on the visitors Viktoria Plzen in the second leg of UEFA Europa League round of 1/8-finals. First leg result: 2-1. The match will be played on Thursday, March 13th at Stadio Olimpico (Rome).
Lazio, like most Italian clubs outside of the Champions League, often lack motivation in European competitions—at least early on. Marco Baroni, who took over in the summer, understood that his primary task was to improve on last season’s disappointing Serie A campaign, which followed their runner-up finish in 2023. He was well aware that his predecessor, Maurizio Sarri, was not saved from dismissal despite his past success or Lazio’s Champions League knockout stage qualification. In Serie A, the Roman side still have a shot at finishing fourth, but they face stiff competition from Juventus. As a result, during the Europa League group stage, Baroni frequently rotated his squad, resting key players while giving minutes to those who saw less action in domestic matches. Even so, Lazio managed six wins in eight matches, suffering just one defeat and finishing the group stage with the best record alongside Athletic Club. More importantly, they have found their best form recently, winning four of their last five games in all competitions.
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Viktoria Plzeň have already impressed. "Viktorka" enjoyed the best period in their history not too long ago, winning multiple league titles. However, in recent seasons, they have been pushed into the background by the two giants from Prague. This year, they still have a chance to battle Sparta for second place, but they have fallen too far behind Slavia to compete for the title. Nevertheless, Miroslav Koubek’s team have performed admirably in Europe. They cruised through summer qualification, easily dispatching Kryvbas and Hearts with four straight wins, before delivering a solid Europa League group stage campaign, finishing unbeaten with three wins and three draws. That secured a spot in the knockout round, where they lost the first leg to Ferencváros in Budapest but responded with an emphatic 3-0 home victory. Against Lazio, they managed to find the net last Thursday but still fell to a 2-1 defeat. Their away form remains concerning, as they have won just one of their last five matches on the road.
Before last Thursday's clash, these two clubs had never faced each other. The tie was essentially decided last week. Now, Lazio should finish the job comfortably—back them with a -1.5 handicap.
Prediction for the match: Lazio to win with -1.0 handicap.
