Week one of the Champions League group stages provides football fans with some excellent games across the board. From Group A to Group H, plenty is going on, and the most challenging part of the evening is deciding which game to watch live on television. Each Champions League fixture on Tuesday and Wednesday is shown live on television, making it a football festival for armchair fans wishing to see the best teams in action. But who will be the big winners in midweek, opening their account for the campaign with three points?
Our team of football writers previews the biggest and best teams involved in midweek, including Manchester City and Real Madrid. You can read an in-depth preview of the game from France, where PSG host German side Borussia Dortmund elsewhere on our site. But here, we shine the spotlight on a game in Italy involving Lazio and Spanish side Atletico Madrid. The Italians hold the home advantage, but which team will grab all three points? Keep reading as we dissect the form and odds before offering our predictions.
Lazio is out to impress
It will be a memorable evening for followers of Lazio as the team aims to make an impact on this season’s Champions League. The locals performed better than expected in Serie A last term, finishing in the top four and banking a return to Europe’s top competition. They were strong and have strengthened again in pre-season, hoping to build a team capable of reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League. But they face a problem. Lazio has been dropped into Group E alongside Feyenoord, Celtic and Atletico Madrid,
The top pundits have had their say on how the pool will play out and expect a two-way shootout between Lazio and Atletico Madrid. Nothing will be decided on Tuesday, but it’s an excellent chance for Lazio to put three points on the board at the earliest opportunity. A home win would blow the pool wide open, making an already competitive group even more enjoyable. If Lazio is to win the group and progress as champions, they must perform at home, starting with victory against their main rivals.
Bet hereMadrid aims to spoil the party
Atletico Madrid arrives in Italy hoping to win their first game of the campaign. Victory over Lazio would set the Spaniards on course to win the pool, but nothing comes cheap against Italian opposition, and Madrid must work hard to get the desired result. They must be patient in defence and ruthless in attack, taking any chances that come their way. If they can get the first goal or keep the scores level in the first half, they’ll disrupt the home support, filtering down onto the field. Atletico Madrid knows this is a great chance to win and hurt another team planning to finish in pole position.
The history books show Atletico Madrid has played Lazio four times already, twice in Italy, and the games have been hard-fought. The Spaniards lead the head-to-head stats with two wins against the one for Lazio and a draw. The first meeting was in 1998 when Lazio won 1-0 on the road and held on for a goalless finish in Spain. In more recent times, the sides shared a Europa League double header in 2012, with Atletico Madrid easing to a 3-1 win in Italy and a 1-0 at home. More than a decade has passed since those games, and much has changed for both teams, but Madrid would gladly accept a repeat performance.
Lazio v Atletico Madrid prediction
Lazio knows their best chance of winning the group comes from beating their main rivals on Tuesday in Italy. They enjoy home advantage, have the crowd behind them, and will celebrate a party atmosphere. This team has a feel-good factor, and Lazio will thrive off the crowd, the high expectations, and the glamour of the occasion. This is a real chance to send a statement of intent to the other teams in the group.
Atletico Madrid was nowhere near their best last season, but they did enough to secure a return to Champions League football. This isn’t the Madrid of old we saw holding off Barcelona and Real Madrid to win La Liga, but they remain strong. Avoiding defeat could be more important than chasing a win for Madrid, especially in their opening game, and a draw wouldn’t surprise anyone.
Champions League odds
The pre-match betting odds available to 22Bet members make for exciting reading and give bettors a puzzle to solve. Will Lazio use their home advantage to snag the points at 2.87, or will Atletico Madrid score a third win on the bounce against Tuesday’s opponents at 2.475? Can’t separate the pair? The draw may appeal at 3.32.
Plenty is going on at 22Bet, and members will enjoy the many big-match betting specials. Pick the winner or predict the first goalscorer, half-time score, handicap, half-time/full-time, and more. There’s a bet to suit all players and budgets.
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