The first leg of the 2024/25 Europa League Round of 16 between Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic) and Lazio (Italy) will take place on March 6 at the Doosan Arena. Viktoria Plzen vs. Lazio: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Viktoria Plzen
Miroslav Koubek's side faced Ferencvaros in the play-off matches and successfully advanced. After a 0-1 away defeat, Viktoria fully capitalized on their home advantage in the return leg, thrashing the Hungarians 3-0. Including qualification matches, the Czechs have already recorded eight wins in this Europa League campaign (3 draws, 3 losses).
- The team has not lost in regular time in 16 of their last 17 home matches in the Europa League (15 wins, 1 draw).
- The club has kept a clean sheet in 7 of their last 9 home matches in this European competition.
- The Czechs have scored first in regular time in 8 of their last 9 home Europa League games.
Predicted lineup for Viktoria Plzen (3-5-2)
Martin Jedlicka – Vaclav Jemelka, Svetozar Markovic, Sampson Dweh – Amar Memic, Pavel Schulz, Lukas Cerv, Lukas Kalvach, Cadu Cruz – Matej Vydra, Rafiu Durosinmi.
Lazio
Marco Baroni's side skipped the play-off round. In the last match of the general stage, Lazio suffered their first defeat in this Europa League campaign, losing 0-1 away to Real Sociedad. However, this result did not affect their position in the standings – the club retained the top spot and directly advanced to the Round of 16. Notably, the Romans have conceded only five goals in the current Europa League – the second-best record among all teams.
- The club has not won in regular time in 12 of their last 16 away matches in the Europa League (2 draws, 10 losses).
- At least one of the opponents failed to score in regular time in 5 of the team's last 6 away matches in this European competition.
- The Romans have not conceded more than one goal in regular time in their last six away Europa League games.
Predicted lineup for Lazio (4-4-2)
Christos Mandas – Adam Marusic, Mario Gila, Alessio Romagnoli, Nuno Tavares – Mattia Zaccagni, Nicolo Rovella, Matteo Guendouzi, Gustav Isaksen – Valentin Castellanos, Boulaye Dia.
Defender Elseid Hysaj, midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, and forward Valentin Castellanos will miss the game due to injuries.
Referee
Donatas Rumsas (Lithuania)
Matches – 9 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 26;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.9;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 22%.
Viktoria Plzen vs. Lazio: Match Prediction
The Czechs perform very strongly at home and are ready to challenge opponents of any level. Moreover, in 15 of their last 17 home Europa League matches, Viktoria has achieved maximum results. They also drew once, and the only defeat in this stretch came against Manchester United, where the opponent scored the decisive goal in the very end. Additionally, in 5 of their 7 home matches in the current Europa League campaign, including qualification, the club has kept a clean sheet.
Lazio performed well in the general stage, but in their last match, Marco Baroni's side left a negative impression by losing away to Braga. Away matches have often been a challenging test for the Romans in the Europa League: in the last 16 away encounters in this tournament, the team has achieved only four wins and suffered ten defeats. The result of their last away match in Serie A – a goalless draw with relegation-threatened Venezia – does not inspire optimism either.
I believe the hosts are quite capable of at least not losing this match. My prediction: Viktoria Plzen to win or draw
