Lazio – Hellas Verona

Lazio and Verona will not leave zeros on the scoreboard

With a draw in the last matchday, Lazio have secured their place in the Europa League group stage ahead of schedule. "The Biancocelesti are in fifth place with 63 points. Only Roma could overtake, but that does not really matter. Maurizio Sarri's side put in a decent performance against Juventus. Despite conceding the first two goals, the Romans found the strength to level the score. In terms of play, the Eagles looked better than their opponents. Before that, Lazio recorded two wins (2-0 against Sampdoria and 3-4 against Spezia), lost 1-2 to Milan and shared points with Torino 1-1. What is the significance of these results? The team have been scoring goals in seven rounds now. Only once in that stretch has they managed to avoid conceding a goal. Verona could also have been in contention for the Europa League title, but after two disappointing defeats they lost their chances. First, the Mastiffs lost to Milan (1-3) and then to Torino (0-1). Nevertheless, there are certain goals for the season. The Hellas want to break the record for points scored in a season, and they are just two points short of that mark. Ivan Tudor's side have a very interesting record in away encounters. The team conceded in every (!) away game this season. At the same time, they failed to score just three times (against Torino, Juventus and Inter). It is also worth noting that Verona have lost only once (to Inter) in the past five away games. In the first leg, the Hellas were victorious 4-1 against their rivals. Although the teams are not particularly motivated at the moment, they are unlikely to change their playing style. Lazio are keen to rehabilitate themselves for their first-round defeat and retain fifth place. Verona are looking to break their season points record. An abundance of goals should be expected in the clash of the two playing teams.