LAZIO – DINAMO KIEV Europa League
Eliminated from the Italian Cup and back from a series of non-exciting results in the league, Lazio has great interest in going as far forward as possible in the Europa League. A competition in which the team coached by Simone Inzaghi has shown since the beginning of the season of being able to make the big voice also deploying reserves, at least in the group stage.
The draw was lucky enough for Lazio, the opponent will be Dynamo Kiev, a team within reach and that in recent years has weakened a lot.
How they got to the knockout stages
Lazio won the first place in its group not so easy with Nice, Vitesse and Zulte Waregem thanks to the four victories obtained in the first four days, although often playing with the second lines. Simone Inzaghi has always favored the championship, doing a lot of turnover in the Europa League while still achieving remarkable results. He did the same in the first leg of the round of 32 against the FCSB, in which he dominated but lost one to zero. The qualification won it in the return match at the Olimpico, played with the holders and won 5-1.
Dinamo Kiev came in first place in Group B ahead of Partizan Belgrade, Young Boys and Skenderbeu. A group certainly not prohibitive. The team coached by Khatskevich had a fairly easy draw even in the sixteenth of the final in which he faced Aek Athens. The qualification came thanks to a double draw (1-1 in Greece with Tsygankov scored) before 0-0 at the Olimpispy. In the return match the opponents have made a mistake of the sensational goals, showing the defensive limits of Dinamo. The goals conceded in the league are few, but the reason is to be found in the poor value of the opponents. Already in the Europa League in the group stage Dynamo Kiev suffered nine goals in six games. And among other things in the last two league games he took five goals confirming the current problems in the non-possession phase. Against one of the best attacks of the Italian league, keeping the door inviolate will be very difficult, and indeed Lazio already this one-way game has the possibility of mortgaging the passage of the turn.
The current form state
Lazio is not in its best moment of the season. After a draw and four defeats between the end of January and the beginning of February, the victories with Verona, Fcsb and Sassuolo made us think of a quick recovery. But the elimination on penalties against Milan in the Italian Cup semi-final and the defeat in the last seconds of play against Juventus in the last championship have once again lowered the team’s morale. Dinamo Kiev is, however, an opponent within range, and there will be great desire to rebuild after the last two disappointments.
After all, Dinamo Kiev took home the qualification to the knockout stages with no luck, and in the last two league games suffered five goals from Veres and Zorya.
The latest news on the formations
Simone Inzaghi has several training doubts before the match against Dinamo Kiev. The first certainty is Strakosha, goalkeeper also in the Europa League. In defense, the coach should keep De Vrij and Radu at rest, while Caceres is injured. Luiz Felipe should play in place of the Dutch defender, with Bastos and Wallace on his sides. On the right, Basta will be seen again, as Marusic is out for muscular problems. On the left wing there is the runoff between Lukaku and Lulic. The captain biancoceleste is grappling with the flu, which is why the Belgian is the advantage that the rest when called in has always done well. In midfield on the sides of Lucas Leiva, Luis Alberto and Parolo will act, favored on Murgia. The Lazio coach will repropose the pattern of play seen in the last game of Europa League against Steaua Bucharest, where the Spaniard has been deployed as a midfield interior with Felipe Anderson and flagship Immobile. At rest, at least initially, Milinkovic Savic should remain.
On the other side Dinamo Kiev Khatskevich’s coach will play his own with a 4-3-3 that in the phase of no ball possession turns into 4-1-4-1 with attackers outside Gonzalez and Tsygankov receding on the midfielders’ line and Shepelev standing in front of the defense. Unavailable Bushchan, Sydorchuk and especially the striker Mbokani, who will be replaced by Moraes.
The predictions
Lazio is favored, and will try to win with at least two goals in order to think about the Ukrainian away, always complicated for environmental reasons, with greater peace of mind. Possible mission: after not having scored to Milan and Juventus, not without bad luck, the attack is ready to unleash again as already happened against the Fcsb in the last Europa League match played at the Olimpico.
The probable formations of Lazio-Dinamo Kiev
LAZIO (3-5-1-1): Strakosha; Bastos, Luiz Felipe, Wallace; Enough, Parolo, Lucas Leiva, Luis Alberto, Lukaku; Felipe Anderson; Building.
DINAMO KIEV (4-3-3): Boyko; Pivaric, Khacheridi, Kadar, Kedziora; Garmash, Shepelev, Buyalsky; Gonzalez, Moraes, Tsygankov.
Prediction Today: 3-1, 1
Odds: 1.40
