Spezia vs. Lazio Rome: Preview and betting tips

A poor Friday football programme will offer a duel between Spezia and Lazio Roma in Serie A. While the home team is fighting for salvation, the visitors are surprisingly holding on to the positions guaranteeing the Champions League. What to expect from the match?

Spezia have only extracted two points from the last three rounds for draws, which has put them near the relegation zone. Specifically, it has a four-point lead on it, on the other hand, all teams from the bottom three have won at least once in the last three rounds.

Lazio, on the other hand, clearly benefited from finishing in the Conference League. It has taken 13 points from the last five rounds, including triumphs over Juventus and AS Roma, which catapulted it to second place in the league table. It already has a seven-point cushion on fifth-placed Inter.

Spezia’s key figures

The hosts rely on goals from striker M’Bala Nzola. The African forward has already netted 15 goals, assisted twice and is absolutely indispensable to the team.

The young Slovakian playmaker Dávid Strelec has scored four goals for the Under-21 team or in the cup, but he is also starting to play for the Aces.

Key Lazio players

Captain Ciro Immobile is no longer the vital scoring mainstay he was in years past. This season he is on 11 goals and five assists. The revelation of Serie A is winger Mattia Zaccagni, he has opened the net ten times and assisted on nine goals.

What to expect from the game?

Spezia have a problem with scoring goals in particular, having struck more than once in only one of their last six games. Overall, with 25 shots, it has the third worst offensive record in the competition after Sampdoria Genoa and Hellas Verona.

Moreover, Lazio have surprisingly caught themselves defensively, with 20 goals conceded being the fewest in Serie A. Only Alkmaar have struck more than once against them in the last 18 games in both Conference matches.

Considering the excellent defensive performance of the Romans, the team’s well-being due to the looser schedule and the struggling Spezia offense, it is to be expected that the visitors can win on the field of the underdog.

Sources: Serie A, WhoScored