Lazio have worked themselves into an excellent position in the Europa League, but cannot afford to take things easy during the rest of the opening phase.
A 0-0 draw with Ludogorets maintained their unbeaten record and kept them on top of the standings with three games to play over the next couple of months.
Lazio remain prominent in the football betting odds on Betway and other bookmakers to win the competition, but their place in the knockout phase is far from assured. The top eight teams automatically progress to the last-16, with the sides finishing 9-24th will face an additional knockout play-off round.
Lazio will be eager to retain their place in the top eight to ensure they don’t add any unnecessary fixtures to their already packed schedule. However, with just three points covering the top ten teams and another three sides just a one point adrift of that group, the Serie A giants cannot relax. Their reaming league phase fixtures are fraught with danger, with each of their three opponents still in contention to finish inside the top eight.
Lazio’s next fixture is a trip to the Netherlands to face Ajax, who are one of the teams with ten points after their first five games in the competition. The Eredivisie outfit were defeated 2-0 at Real Sociedad in their last outing, but they have looked a fearsome side in their two home matches this season. They scored nine goals without reply against Besiktas and Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Lazio would be well-advised not to underestimate the threat they pose.
A home game against Sociedad follows on the agenda and they have the ability to be troublesome if they produce their best form at the Stadio Olimpico. Their victory over Ajax was a statement of intent following a sticky start to the competition and they will fancy their chances of making life difficult for Lazio.
The Serie A side will undoubtedly be keen to head into their final game at Braga with their place in the top eight already assured. The Portuguese side moved themselves into contention with an impressive 3-0 victory over Hoffenheim in their last game and are generally tough to beat on their own patch.
A minimum five-point haul from the remaining league phase games should be enough to keep Lazio in the top eight and send them straight through to the last-16.
Winning the competition is not beyond Lazio given the form they have shown this season, although several other clubs have the ability to scupper their hopes.
They include Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, who currently top the outright betting for the Europa League with most leading bookmakers.
Athletic Bilbao and Sociedad have also been well-backed, while Eintracht Frankfurt and Porto are other teams who could make a deep run in the competition.
Frankfurt have been going well in the Bundesliga this term and could be the main threat to Lazio’s hopes of lifting the prestigious trophy.
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