There are rumblings in Rome, where two of Serie A’s big guns are preparing for a final onslaught in a congested chase for a 2025/26 Champions League place.
The Serie A 2025 betting odds have long predicted the title to be fought out between Napoli and Inter Milan, with Atalanta and Juventus the dark horses. And that has looked, for much of the season like the probable final top four. But I Bianconeri have slipped to fifth in the Serie A table and, as the finish line comes into view only six points separate Bologna, who currently sit in fourth, and AC Milan in ninth.
Marco Baroni’s Lazio are sixth and just two points behind Bologna and they are travelling well in Europe, reaching the quarter finals of the Europa League last week with a 3-2 aggregate victory over Viktoria Plzen, while city rivals Roma crashed out. But I Giallorossi are still in the top four race, in seventh.
In the league, while they have put together a good set of Serie A 2025 results, Lazio took a 5-0 spanking away to Bologna last time out and that put a serious dent in their top four hopes. But on a recent trip, away to AC Milan, Lazio showed just why they believe they can challenge the best clubs, winning 2-1 thanks to a 98th minute Pedro penalty.
I Biancoceleste are captained by Azzurri star Mattia Zaccagni, an attacking midfielder who has scored eight goals and made six assists, while Argentine striker Taty Castellanos has nine goals and Senegalese striker Boulaye Dia has seven goals and three assists. 25 year old Matteo Guendouzi is maturing into a top class box-to-box player since signing on a permanent deal in the summer, while, since signing from Spezia in 2022, keeper Ivan Providel has been a mainstay as the last line of defence. An athletic keeper at 6ft 4in he’s fast approaching 100 games for I Biancoceleste.
If Baroni’s team can recover from their pre-break mauling at the hands of Bologna then these key players have the ability to pull the team along into the top four race, to the end. But there are two key phases over the remaining nine games. Next up Lazio play Torino at home and that is a must win, because the two following games are Atalanta away and then the Rome derby. Then into May, Juventus will visit Lazio on 11th May before they then head to Milan to take on the title favourites Inter. If they are still in the hunt, a home game against Lecce awaits and that’s a game Lazio would expect to win.
Who stands in Lazio’s way?
The latest SBOTOP odds reckon Baroni’s team have an uphill battle to secure that fourth place but, with such fine margins, the picture can easily shift with a run of wins…or indeed a run of defeats, with just nine games left to play, will see a club fall off the pace. Lazio need to take care of their business while hoping that a couple of their rivals slip up, and it is fourth placed Bologna and fifth placed Juventus that Baroni will set his sights on; though a win over Atalanta may help to drag La Dea back into the pack.
After the international break Lazio are at home to Torino at odds of 1.73 to win, while Juventus and Bologna are both expected to pick up three points too. The Old Lady are priced at 1.50 to win at home to Genoa, while Bologna have a slightly trickier assignment, away to Venezia where they are priced at 1.83 to win, and stay in that coveted fourth place.
I Bianconeri went into the international break on a low too, losing 3-0 away to Fiorentina and, by the way, La Viola are one of the teams in pursuit, currently eighth and only five points behind Bologna, and they have a striker in red hot form in Moise Kean who has 15 goals this season. Dusan Vlahovic has scored nine for Juventus who have also benefited from the arrival on loan of Randal Kolo Muani. The Frenchman has scored five goals in eight games since his arrival and he gives the Old Lady more bite.
Riccardo Orsolini scored his tenth goal of the season in Bologna’s 5-0 win over Lazio last week; but there were five different scorers that day, illustrating how dangerous last season’s surprise package can be.
It’s a hugely competitive race, with six teams chasing for one place in the Champions League and, while Bologna and Juventus are the biggest hurdles for Lazio to jump, the nightmare scenario for their fans is for Roma, currently lurking in seventh place, to make a late, successful charge.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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