The Blackies welcome the traditional club
The first two matchdays in the 2022/23 Europa League group stage have already been played, but in Group F the clocks have virtually been set to the beginning, as all four teams have three points to show for their efforts. Accordingly, the conclusion of the first leg of the group phase will be decisive. Sturm Graz and Lazio Roma will face each other at the Merkur Arena on Thursday at 18:45
The two sides started the current group stage with a win before both teams suffered one of their bitterest hours in recent memory on matchday two. The Blackies slid to a 1:6 debacle in Rotterdam, while Lazio Roma suffered a sensational 1:5 defeat at Midtjylland. So redemption at international level is the order of the day and the Italian guests are the clear favourites. Odds in the region of 1.70 are being offered for an away win between Sturm Graz and Lazio Rom.
On the domestic stage, the Ilzer eleven is now one of the top teams, but internationally the Grazers are paying a lot of dues. A point win against the Italian top club would therefore be a big surprise.
Sturm Graz – Statistics & current form
Last season, Sturm Graz played well in all six group matches of the Europa League, but were not rewarded for their performances. With two draws and four defeats, the Ilzer eleven ended up in fourth place. Thanks to a goal from the now injured Emanuel Emegha, the Blackies got off to a good start this season, beating Danish rivals Midtjylland 1-0. In Rotterdam, however, the Austrian representatives were brought back to earth and squandered their good starting position in just 90 minutes.
Haven’t conceded a goal in four league games
The discrepancy between the domestic and international stage cannot be denied. Half a dozen goals were conceded by the completely disillusioned Graz side in Rotterdam, but in the domestic championship Jörg Siebenhandl has not conceded a goal in the last four games. With only five goals conceded in ten league games, the reigning runners-up currently share the best defence in the league with the Bullen.
However, this impression is somewhat deceptive, because even in the clear 3-0 win against Wiener Austria, Sturm Graz conceded a few top-class goals, but benefited from the poor chance management of the team from Vienna-Favoriten. Despite a few absences, the Graz team continues to play very well up front. After the record departure of Höljund and the injuries to Emegha and Jantscher, newcomers William Böving and Albian Ajeti stepped into the breach and always provided a scoring threat.
Of course, Lazio Rom is a different house number than the majority of the opponents in the Austrian Bundesliga. Therefore, the goal barrage should not be overestimated. It is interesting to bet on goals on both sides between Sturm Graz and Lazio Rom. Especially at home, the Ilzer team acts with high counter-pressing and tries to catch the opponent off guard. With this approach, there will be chances to score against Lazio as well, and a goal is at least likely.
Predicted line-up of Sturm Graz:
Siebenhandl – Dante, Wüthrich, Affengruber, Gazibegovic – Prass, Gorenc-Stankovic, Hierländer – Horvat – Ajeti, Böving
Last matches played by Sturm Graz:
Bundesliga
02/10/2022 – Austria Wien 0 – 3 Sturm Graz
Friendly club matches
23/09/2022 – Sturm Graz 5 – 1 Maribor
Bundesliga
18/09/2022 – Sturm Graz 2 – 0 Austria Lustenau
Europa League Grp. F
15/09/2022 – Fey. Rotterdam 6 – 0 Sturm Graz
Bundesliga
11/09/2022 – Austria Klagenfurt 0 – 2 Sturm Graz
Lazio Roma – Statistics & current form
1:5 at FC Midtyjlland, this was by no means a result to be reckoned with on the second day of group play in the UEFA Europa League. The Lazio players were humble after the match and paid the ticket costs for the 200 spectators. On the international stage, Sarri’s team suffered a severe setback, but on the domestic stage, things have been going absolutely according to plan for the capital team so far.
Five goals conceded in eight games
17 points from eight league games in Serie A currently mean a strong third place in the table. The gap to SSC Napoli (Lazio’s only league defeat came against the Partenopei) is just three points. Goalkeeper Ivan Provedel has only had to make five saves in those eight games, which is the second-best defensive record in the league.
Last weekend, Provedel kept his third Serie A clean sheet in a row. The 4-0 win over Spezia Calcio was also the third win in a row, and the impressive goal difference at this stage is 10-0. Equally pleasing was the use of top striker Ciro Immobile (five goals two assists), who was questionable due to muscular problems. Maurizio Sarri will also be able to draw almost from the full in Graz.
A large-scale rotation is not to be expected, as the Romans were almost at their best in the 1:5 defeat. This speaks in favour of betting on the visitors in the clash between Sturm Graz and Lazio Roma, because the significantly higher quality is definitely not to be dismissed. And in the fight for the knockout phase, the blue and white from Rome could take a big step with two wins against the supposedly weakest opponent in the next seven days.
Predicted Lazio Roma line-up:
Provedel – Radu, Romagnoli, Gila, Hysaj – Vecino, Cataldi, Luis Alberto – Pedro, Immobile, Felipe Anderson
Last matches played by Lazio Roma:
Serie A
02/10/2022 – Lazio Roma 4 – 0 Spezia
18/09/2022 – Cremonese 0 – 4 Lazio Roma
Europa League Grp. F
15/09/2022 – FC Midtjylland 5 – 1 Lazio Roma
Serie A
11/09/2022 – Lazio Roma 2 – 0 Verona
Europa League Grp. F
09/09/2022 – Lazio Roma 4 – 2 Fey. Rotterdam
Sturm Graz – Lazio Roma Direct comparison / H2H-balance
The two teams have actually faced each other before. At that time, however, the Europa League was still called the UEFA Cup – in the 2002/03 season, the Austrian representatives won 1-0 in the eternal city of Rome, but it was not enough after a 3-1 defeat in the first leg, and the Blackies had to pull out of the tournament.
Sturm Graz – Lazio Roma Tip
There are quite a few parallels to be seen in this duel. Not only the embarrassment on the second day of group play is meant, but also the fact that both teams can look back on a strong start to the season in the domestic championship, which is mainly due to a very strong defence. Internationally, however, this stability left much to be desired, which speaks for a bet on many goals between Sturm Graz and Lazio Roma.
With four league games without conceding a goal (Sturm) or three (Lazio), a sub 2.5 would be more likely. Nevertheless, the top tip between Sturm Graz and Lazio Rome is the prediction of an away win with goals from both teams. Interesting betting odds await here, because despite the national goal barrage, both teams offer their opponents a lot, especially internationally. In addition, Sturm will be much more offensive at home than away and should therefore find some scoring opportunities.
