Novara sit 11 points adrift of safety following the 2-0 defeat to Parma, so we can safely say they will be playing their football in Serie B next season. Lazio, on the other hand, remained three points clear of their top 3 rivals despite the 2-1 defeat to Juventus, but Biancocelesti now have a great opportunity to boost their Champions League hopes by beating sorry Novara.

No hope for Novara

Even before the season started, Novara were seen as hot favourites for the drop and the Biancoazzurri did nothing to prove the doubters wrong. The team slipped to the bottom three early into the season and never really left the relegation zone, so it is fair to say nobody will be surprised when they get relegated at the end of the season. Attilio Tesser’s side are completely out of confidence after taking just two points from last four games and the players can be forgiven for losing all hope that they will keep their Serie A status. Novara did manage to avoid defeat in their last two home games, having shared spoils with fellow strugglers Lecce and Genoa, but they are likely to face a much tougher task against high-flying Lazio. Having won just 3 of their 16 home games this season, Novara clearly don’t have much to hope for before the clash with the Biancocelesti.

Santiago Garcia is suspended, whereas Carlalberto Ludi, Samir Ujkani, Massimo Paci and Francesco Marianini are all sidelined.

Lazio counting the wounded

The club management did a great job in the summer transfer window as they not only signed a number of quality players, but also improved the strength in depth, which would prove crucial to Lazio’s ambitions this season. The Biancocelesti enjoyed a bright start to the season and they never allowed themselves to slip down the Serie A standings, not even when injuries to star players started kicking in. Edy Reja’s side have been nettling bravely with all the problems they faced along the way and they are now on the verge of securing Champions League qualification, which would be a huge success considering the circumstances. The Biancocelesti may not have been too impressive on the travels of late, but with Novara all over the place at the moment, they should be able to record invaluable away victory.

Stefano Mauri and Libor Kozak are suspended, while Andre Dias, Marius Stankevicius, Miroslav Klose, Senad Lulic, Stefan Radu and Abdoulay Konko are all out injured.

Verdict

The 2-0 defeat to Parma marked the end of Novara’s survival hopes and the hosts now enter the Lazio game in poor spirits. The Biancocelesti are aware they can virtually secure the third place in the standings with a win at Stadio Comunale and Edy Reja’s side are unlikely to pass on such a good opportunity.

Our prediction: Away win

Odds: 1.95 (19/20)

Bookmaker: Ladbrokes