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Mixed martial arts Lazio vs Torino Bet Builder Tips: an uphill battle so far for Sarri’s men
Lazio vs Torino Bet Builder Tips Stats and Player Props
For this Serie A’s midweek round of fixtures, Daniele Fisichella’s Lazio vs Torino Bet Builder tips are focused on one of the three 19:45 kick-offs on Wednesday.
Last year’s vice champions, Lazio, are winless in the last three games and just one point above the relegation zone. They host Torino, who earned a deserved draw against Roma on Sunday and, under Ivan Juric’s management, have become one of Italy’s strongest sides away from home. Can Maurizio Sarri’s men get their season finally up and running with a win?
Bet Builder odds: 5.00
Italy, Serie A, Wednesday, September 27th, 7:45pm (UK)
Odds via bet365 as at 10.45 am, September 26th 2023. Odds may now differ.
Lazio vs Torino Stats and Match Facts: solid defences and a few upsets
- This is Lazio’s worst start of the season since 2001/2002 when they drew four out of five games.
- Torino are unbeaten in their last five games against Lazio and won 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico last season thanks to a goal from Ivan Ilic.
- Since March 2023, no other team has kept more clean sheets and won more games away from home than Torino: six wins and six clean sheets (same as Lazio and Inter Milan).
- All the last five games between Lazio and Torino have seen under 2.5 goals scored, with two matches ending in a scoreless draw.
- At the weekend, Duvan Zapata scored his first goal for Torino after three games. In 2013/2014, it took seven games for Ciro Immobile to score his first goal for the Granata (against Sampdoria).
Lazio vs Torino Bet Builder Tips: Juric-ball begins to pay dividends
Felipe Anderson to Score or Assist
Lazio seem to be the shadow of the team that impressed last season: their defence is leaky (no clean sheets in six games in all competitions), and the forwards are misfiring (only Ciro Immobile has scored so far, two goals).
It can’t be down only to the absence of Milinkovic-Savic, who moved to Saudi Arabia in the summer, although the Serbian’s physicality helped Lazio to solve many difficult games in the past.
As Maurizio Sarri said after their disappointing 1-1 draw at the Olimpico against Monza, the team is struggling to attack the spaces correctly and, as a result, leaves itself exposed.
In fairness, the Biancocelesti impressed in their 2-1 win over Napoli a few weeks ago but have struggled to create and convert chances consistently. Credit to them for not giving up against such formidable opponents like Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, but now it’s time for their forward players to step up.
The wingers, with their quick passes and cuts behind the opposition defence’s line, have always been vital for Maurizio Sarri’s style of play, and although Felipe Anderson has not started the season too well (two assists, no goals and only four shots taken), he’s such an important player for Lazio.
The team’s fortunes are significantly linked to the form of the Brazilian, and Maurizio Sarri knows how to make the most of the former West Ham player: in the last two seasons, Anderson has contributed to 25 goals in Italy’s top flight.
Over 2 Goals
Torino, on the other hand, feels like a club that is going upwards and arrives here on the back of a hard-fought draw against Roma.
The good news for Ivan Juric is that Duvan Zapata, signed on the last day of the transfer market from Atalanta, has hit the ground running, and the other new players (Tameze and Bellanova, for example) also represent an upgrade from last season.
Torino now have a deep squad, and a finish in the top seven is not out of their reach.
The visitors, especially last season, have never been a high-scoring side, but what impresses is their multitude of attacking options.
On Sunday, the Granata finished the game with six attacking players on the pitch at the same time: four strikers (Karamoh, Zapata, Pellegri and last year’s top goalscorer Sanabria, who has fully recovered from his injury) and two creative midfielders (Lazaro and Vlasic).
As they searched for the equaliser, Torino filled the box with bodies and scored from a set-piece against Roma, a team that, under Josè Mourinho, is renowned for their defensive organisation.
Juric might not be keen to start the game with two central strikers, but considering Lazio’s recent problems at the back, the idea of a high-scoring game, especially in the second half, is appealing.
Both Teams to Score in the First Half – No
Lazio have squandered five points this campaign as they suffered comebacks from both Lecce and Monza. Maurizio Sarri will rotate a couple of players, giving an opportunity from the first minute to full-back Luca Pellegrini. In contrast, Ivan Juric can again count on midfielder Matteo Ricci, who missed the Roma game due to illness.
At the beginning of the match, Torino might adopt the same approach Juventus had against Lazio a couple of weeks ago, leaving the initiative to the hosts and hitting them with on the counter.
In this sense, the visitors are very organised, and I’d not be surprised if, especially in the first 30 minutes, there won’t be many scoring chances for either side.
Torino have scored three of their six Serie A goals in the first half and have conceded only twice (against AC Milan) during the first 45 minutes.
Lazio’s numbers at the Olimpico are similar: two out of three games in all competitions have seen only one team scoring before half-time.
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