Lazio missed the opportunity to beat Udinese and edge even closer to the top of the standings, but the Biancocelesti will have another chance to improve their league position before the winter break. Chievo moved further away from the relegation zone as they beat Cagliari, so Flying Donkeys arrive to Olimpico without any pressure.

Missed chance against Udinese

Following some early season struggles in both Serie A and Europa League, Lazio managed to hit the ground running at the beginning of October and the team have been impressive ever since. The Biancocelesti ended the nine-match unbeaten run as they lost to Juventus, but then entered the new run of five games without defeat, and now sit in fourth place in the standings. Their league position would be even better if Lazio had not missed out on a win against Udinese after largely outplaying their rivals for the top 3 finish. Edy Reja’s side have proved their character by winning no less than five of seven away games in Serie A, but they appear to have small problems at home, probably due to the pressure of expectations from the home fans. Nevertheless, the game against one of the worst travelers in Serie A is a perfect opportunity to improve on their somewhat poor home record, especially as Edy Reja will have several important players back to the side.

Abdoulay Konko returns after recovering from injury, whereas Hernanes is back after being rested against Udinese. Djibril Cisse is also expected to start as he took no part in the Udinese clash.

Chievo doing well

Chievo have established themselves as genuine mid table side over the years and they haven’t had too many problems while trying to avoid the drop of late. The club management succeeded in finding very good replacements for the players that had left in the summer, so nobody is surprised to see that the Flying Donkeys are doing really well this season. Chievo’s 4-3-1 home record is the main reason why Mimmo Di Carlo’s side are now at a safe distance from the bottom three, but their away performances leave a lot to be desired. After losing five of seven games on the travels this season, Chievo clearly don’t have much to hope for before the clash with in-form Lazio. The Flying Donkeys continue to struggle in the scoring department, with their record of 13 goals in 15 games only better than those of Cesena and Cagliari.

Key midfielder Luca Rigoni remains sidelined, whereas defender Boukari Drame is a doubt after suffering a rib injury.

Verdict

Lazio have stabilized their form of late, and with several key players back to the side they should be able to record another win before the winter break. Chievo largely struggle on the travels, so I seriously doubt they can match the very motivated hosts.

Our prediction: Lazio with -1 Asian handicap

Odds: 2.02 (51/50)

Bookmaker: 188BET