With Lazio and Bologna, two teams will face each other on Thursday evening who have proven to be able to play football very well, but have left it after the resumption of competition. Is it Lazio or Cagliari that can finally win again?
Lazio:
Simone Inzaghi started the new football year in the Serie A quite hit and miss. Thanks to the cup win in the previous season, they qualified for the Europa League. However, that did not go smoothly, because in the group stage CFR Cluj, Celtic and Stade Rennes were lost. That fairytale was soon over, but in Serie A Inzaghi had meanwhile let his team run at full speed. Lazio set an unbeaten streak of 21 games from September to the corona break, moving up to second place. However, I Biancocelesti collapsed like a house of cards after the resumption of competition. Five of the eight games without an audience were lost and Lazio wasted her title chances. Meanwhile, the Romans are in fourth place and very crazy things have to happen if Lazio also wants to relinquish that fourth place.
Monday evening, Lazio had only a supporting role when Juventus took a big step towards the title. Juventus and Lazio kept each other in balance in the first half, but the goals came in the second half. Cristiano Ronaldo used an easily given penalty, after which a quick counter – which was also completed by Ronaldo – resulted in 2-0. Ciro Immobile made it exciting just before time by making the connection goal via a penalty. This match was dominated by Ronaldo and Immobile who both scored their 30th goal of the season. This puts them at a lonely height compared to the rest, as Romelu Lukaku is approaching nine goals behind.
Cagliari:
The club from Sardinia has a changing season. Rolando Maran started at the helm of the islanders this season and rose to unprecedented heights. Cagliari flourished under his leadership and thanks to an unbeaten run of thirteen games, Rossoblu rose to fourth place. Then it went downhill with the club of Radja Nainggolan and Gaston Pereiro. At the beginning of December, everything turned around and the unbeaten streak became a streak with no wins. This lasted twelve games and then the board saw no other option than to send Maran out. The corona break came at a good time for Cagliari, as they were involved in a huge free fall. When the competition resumed, successor Walter Zenga immediately managed to record another victory. He defeated SPAL and a week later Torino was also defeated. It all looked a bit rosier, but after that no more was won. Of the past six games, four have been drawn and two have been lost. Cagliari can pass Bologna and possibly Hellas Verona with a victory on Thursday-evening and take ninth place.
Last round, Cagliari had to face Sassuolo. The opponent competes for a European ticket and there was a lot of pressure on this match. Sassuolo’s top scorer Francesco Caputo scored the opening goal early on, but when 19-year-old defender Andrea Carboni took his second yellow card, things could get very difficult for the Sardinians. However, João Pedro scored his eighteenth goal of the season early in the second half. In the end, the game ended in 1-1.
PREDICTION: Lazio to win @ 1,48
