The UEFA Champions League returns to our lives once again this week as we enter the second half of the group stage. At this point, all 32 clubs are well aware of what their objectives are as they prepare for the final three-game stretch. Today, we’ll be taking a look at what is bound to be an electric clash between Lazio and Feyenoord.
Lazio Form GuideIn the end, it was Lazio who did the best job of pushing Napoli all the way in the Serie A title race last season, as they wound up finishing 2nd for their troubles. In terms of what the future holds for the club, though, it’s much harder to say given how much turnover there has been. Still, regardless of which way you look at it, they are still a club to be feared at this level.
A late, late equaliser ensured that Lazio came away with a big point in their home clash with Atletico Madrid. From there, they went on the road and beat Celtic 2-1, before falling to Feyenoord 3-1 in the first of their two-game series.
Feyenoord Form GuideFeyenoord climbed back to the top of Dutch football last season by winning the Eredivisie, confirming that they are once again a team to be feared at the elite level. The big question now is whether or not they’ll be able to translate that over to the Champions League which, as we know, is easier said than done, and will require steady improvement in the coming months.
Feyenoord comfortably saw off Celtic after a tough first half in a 2-0 win that got them up and running in style. From there, they played out a five-goal thriller with Altetico Madrid that they lost 3-2, before bouncing back with a nice 3-1 win at home to Lazio.
Match PredictionWe expect to see these sides be a little bit more conservative than in their first outing and even if they aren’t, we don’t think they’re going to have as much success in front of goal - largely due to some good defensive work. Because of that, we’re going to predict under 2.5 goals scored.
