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 and statistics.
Lazio
Marco Baroni's side secured a 2-1 victory in the first leg, scoring the decisive goal in the eighth minute of added time, despite being reduced to nine men. This win marked Lazio's seventh in the current Europa League campaign, the best record among all participants. However, the team 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 Europa League quarter-finals 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 their last 8 home matches in this European competition.
- Lazio has scored at least twice in regular time in 7 of their last 8 home Europa League games.
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.
Defenders Elseid Hysaj and Luca Pellegrini will miss the game due to injuries. Defender Samuel Gigot and midfielder Nicolo Rovella are suspended.
Viktoria Plzen
Miroslav Koubek's team, having lost the first match, suffered their fourth defeat in the current Europa League campaign – only Ajax, among the remaining clubs, has lost more (5). Viktoria's high scoring rate is noteworthy: including the qualifiers, the club has scored in 13 of their 15 matches in the current Europa League. To progress to the next round, the Czechs need to win by at least two goals in regular time, while a one-goal victory will lead to extra time. It is worth mentioning that the team has never reached the quarter-finals of Europe's second-tier competition before.
- 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 their last 7 away games in this European competition.
- Both teams have scored in regular time in 5 of Viktoria's last 7 away Europa League matches.
Predicted lineup for Viktoria Plzen (3-5-2)
Martin Jedlička – Václav Jemelka, Svetozar Marković, Sampson Dweh – Amar Memić, Pavel Šulc, Lukáš Červ, Lukáš Kalvach, Cadu Cruz – Matěj Vydra, Rafiu Durosinmi.
Defender Milan Havel, forward Daniel Vašulín, and midfielder Sheik Souaré are injured.
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
On home soil, Lazio plays with a focus on creative actions and, with the support of their fans, creates many chances upfront. Scoring goals is rarely an issue for Lazio: in 7 of their last 8 home Europa League matches, the team has not only scored but done so at least twice. However, in the same number of home games in this European competition, the Italian club has also conceded – defense is not their strong suit.
Viktoria, even away, aims to play actively in attack and cause as much trouble as possible for the opponent's defense. In their last seven away Europa League matches, the team left the field without scoring only once, and in four instances during this stretch, 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 European competition, Viktoria has 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
* The starting lineup for each team is based on their last match in this tournament.
