As the Europa League enters its fourth matchday, Lazio will host FC Porto at the iconic Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Thursday night. This matchup promises to be a thrilling encounter, pitting two teams in excellent form against each other. Lazio currently leads the group with a perfect record, while Porto is looking to build on their recent successes.
Lazio have made an impressive start to their Europa League campaign, winning all three of their matches so far. They sit atop the standings with nine points and a goal difference of +8, having secured victories against Dynamo Kyiv, Nice, and Twente. Their domestic form has also been strong, as they recently defeated Cagliari 2-1, moving them into fifth place in Serie A.
On the other hand, Porto has shown resilience after a rocky start to their European journey. After losing their opening match to Bodo/Glimt and drawing with Manchester United, they bounced back with a solid 2-0 win over Hoffenheim. The Portuguese side is currently riding a six-match winning streak across all competitions and has not conceded a goal in their last five games.
The previous encounters between these two sides have favored Porto, who remain unbeaten in four meetings against Lazio. Both previous matches at the Stadio Olimpico ended in draws. However, Lazio’s current form makes them slight favorites heading into this fixture.
Team News
Lazio captain Mattia Zaccagni is expected to start after overcoming illness and scoring the winning penalty in the recent match against Cagliari. Nuno Tavares returns from suspension and will bolster the defense. However, Tijjani Noslin will miss the game due to a suspension stemming from a red card received in the opening match against Dynamo Kyiv.
Manuel Lazzari made his first start in over six weeks against Cagliari and could feature again in this match. Overall, Lazio’s squad is in good shape as they look to maintain their unbeaten run at home.
In terms of Porto’s lineup, the team will be without defender Zaidu Sanusi as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury. Ivan Marcano and Wendell are also sidelined due to ongoing injury issues. However, Galeno is likely to return to the starting lineup after scoring two goals off the bench in Porto’s recent 4-0 victory over Estoril.
Despite these absences, Porto boasts a potent attack led by Samu Omorodion, who is currently the leading scorer in the Europa League with four goals.
Expected Starting XIs
Lazio: Mandas; Lazzari, Gila, Romagnoli, Nuno Tavares; Vecino, Dele-Bashiru; Pedro, Dia, Zaccagni; Castellanos
Porto: Diogo Costa; Martim Fernandes, Perez, Tiago Djalo, Moura; Varela, Nico, Ivan Jaime; Pepe, Samu, Galeno
Prediction
Given Lazio’s strong home record and current momentum in both domestic and European competitions, they are expected to edge out Porto in what should be a closely contested match. With both teams capable of scoring goals and creating chances, a scoreline of 2-1 in favor of Lazio seems plausible.
Prediction: Lazio 2-1 Porto
