Le Aquile travel to the Netherlands on Wednesday, where they will face Arne Slot's Feyenoord. The two clubs met in last season's Europa League group stage and each side won one game apiece, with this exact fixture ending 1-0 to the hosts.
Feyenoord
De club aan de Maas have been sensational so far this season and they will be confident that they can progress through Group E. Feyenoord are unbeaten in the Eredivise with seven wins and two draws, scoring 32 times and conceding just six over those nine matches. They are particularly strong at De Kuip, nearly averaging four goals scored per game domestically.
Slot's approach hasn't altered in Europe and his side have displayed the fearless, free-flowing, attacking football in the UEFA Champions League. After two matchdays, the Dutch side sit in third place with a win and a defeat under their belt. Feyenoord started their UCL adventure against Celtic, where they convincingly won 2-0. However, their most recent game versus the favorites to top the group, Atletico Madrid, ended in a 3-2 defeat. Feyenoord took the lead twice in the first half and absolutely dominated the Spanish side throughout, registering 17 shots, 15 corners and missing an astounding five big chances.
Lazio
Maurizio Sarri's side have had a relatively inconsistent start to the 2023/24 Serie A campaign, with four wins, four defeats and one draw. Lazio have showcased that they are difficult to breach as a defensive unit, conceding just 12 goals in nine matches. However, Le Aquile haven't exactly been clinical in attack themselves, scoring an average of 1.33 goals per match. Luckily for the Lazio faithful, they seem to have put their poor early season form behind them, as they have won four of their last five in all competitions.
One of those victories came against Celtic in matchday two, where they left Celtic Park with a 2-1 victory. The performance was not so convincing and it took a last minute Pedro strike to win the game. Ultimately, the hosts were the better side and Lazio were lucky to win the match. Furthermore, Sarri's team seem to be able to grind out results, shown by the UCL opening 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid.
Verdict?
Feyenoord are the favorites to win the tie and that is most likely due to Lazio's mediocre attacking ability and the fact that the hosts have been so dominant this season. Slot's side will score and look to be on the front from the off.
The final prediction is Feyenoord 2-1 Lazio.
