Team News
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone will once again be unable to count with the services of the injured pair of Diego Costa and Antonio Lopez for the clash with Lazio. A further blow for Simeone is that Mario Suarez is suspended after accumulating another yellow card in the first leg of the tie last week. While the presence of Mario Suarez remains in doubt as the player has yet to completely recover from injury.
Chances are that Simeone will select a close to identical side as to the one which played so well at the Stadio Olimpico last week, with Falcao the lone striker up front.
If Atletico appear to have injury concerns, what could be said for rivals Lazio? The Romans have no less than five players sidelined due to injuries, these being Lorik Cana, Andre Dias, Giuseppe Biava, Stefano Mauri and captain Tommaso Rocchi. Due to the fact that Lazio trail 3-1 after the first leg result in Rome last week, coach Edy Reja is likely to field an extremely attacking-minded lineup. Reja had presented his Lazio resignation to the club board on Wednesday, but it was instantly rejected.
Form
The Spaniards come into the tie having won 9 of their last 11 games in the Europa League, including their impressive win over Lazio in Rome last week. The defending champions have also remained unbeaten in all competitions since Simeone was appointed head coach. In their latest league outing they fought out a goalless draw with Sporting Gijon.
Lazio, on the other hand, have struggled to find any sort of consistency, and come into the clash after having been on the wrong end of a 5-1 demolition to Palermo on the weekend. The fact that Lazio have conceded 13 goals in their last four games in all competitions clearly highlights their greatest weakness. If they fail to correct their defensive woes, they could well be mauled by Los Colchoneros.
Players to Watch
Falcao - The Colombian goal-poacher scored twice against Lazio last week, and once again is expected to be a handful for the visitors at the Vicente Calderon on Thursday. If a desperate Lazio leave big gaps in their defense, Falcao will likely extend his impressive scoring run.
Miroslav Klose - Like it or not, Lazio will have no choice but to push to the attack immediately from the kick-off as they need a win by at least two goals to advance. If they manage to achieve this it will surely be because of Klose’s presence in the area.
Prediction
Their 3-1 win from the first leg makes Atletico Madrid the odds on favourites to advance to the round of 16 stage of the competition. But while Lazio will give it a fight, they will likely be undone by Simeone’s troops for the second time in a week.
The Verdict:
Atletico 2-0 Lazio
