Lazio, who are unbeaten in this season's Europa League, will visit Ajax at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Thursday.
This is the first time the two teams have met, with Lazio leading Ajax by three points in the standings. Both teams are on track to secure direct qualification to the last 16.
Latest Ajax vs Lazio team news
Following their defeat last weekend without captain Jordan Henderson due to a hamstring injury, Ajax are expected to recall the former England midfielder on Thursday.
Devyne Rensch could also return from injury, but Sivert Mannsverk has been ruled out, and Owen Wijndal will be suspended.
Left winger Mika Godts came on as a substitute in the match against AZ and may start, replacing Chuba Akpom, who played out of position.
Godts and Kenneth Taylor are the home team's top scorers in this season's Europa League group stage, with three goals each. Taylor could become only the second player in Ajax history to score in four consecutive home games in the UEFA Cup or Europa League, following in the footsteps of Dennis Bergkamp, who scored five goals in consecutive matches between 1991 and 1992.
Meanwhile, veteran Spaniard Pedro is Lazio's top scorer in the Europa League this season with three goals, and he could return to the starting lineup when Marco Baroni makes changes ahead of Monday's clash with Inter Milan.
Tijjani Noslin, who recently scored a hat-trick in the cup victory against Napoli, could also feature at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, while key striker Taty Castellanos may retain his place due to suspension for the match against Inter.
With a full squad, Baroni will welcome back midfielder Matias Vecino after injury, and Nicolo Rovella will be available after serving a one-match suspension.
Latest predicted lineups for Ajax vs Lazio
Ajax:
Pasveer; Gaaei, Sutalo, Kaplan, Hato; Van den Boomen, Henderson, Taylor; Berghuis, Weghorst, Godts
Lazio:
Mandas; Lazzari, Gigot, Patric, Pellegrini; Rovella, Dele-Bashiru; Tchaouna, Pedro, Noslin; Castellanos
Latest Ajax vs Lazio football match prediction
In their last Europa League appearance, Ajax lost 0-2 to Real Sociedad in San Sebastian, despite hitting the post twice, missing the chance to win their first group stage match this year.
However, Ajax won both of their home games, beating Besiktas 4-0 and scoring five goals against Maccabi Tel Aviv without conceding any, and with 10 points, they are currently sixth in the standings with three rounds remaining.
However, they gradually lost their crucial top 8 position and are now only ahead of the playoff spots thanks to goal difference.
In addition to their impressive goal-scoring ability, Ajax conceded fewer goals than only Lazio and Athletic Bilbao, while also keeping three clean sheets in the Europa League, alongside six clean sheets in the domestic league.
However, Francesco Farioli's team suffered a rare 0-1 defeat against AZ Alkmaar on Sunday, and then only managed a 2-2 draw at home with Utrecht, currently sitting third in the Eredivisie, nine points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven.
After their 12-match unbeaten run in the Dutch league came to an end, Ajax will have to focus on European competition: they have not won in their last 12 home games against Italian opponents, and Farioli will be eager to end this streak when they host Lazio.
As for Lazio, they earned another point in their most recent Europa League match, a 0-0 draw at home against Ludogorets, but their unbeaten run in the group stage has come to an end.
Still leading the table with 13 points, Lazio now share the spot with Eintracht Frankfurt and are very close to securing a place in the round of 16.
Under Marco Baroni's leadership in his first season, Lazio have exceeded expectations, and their recent double victory against Napoli has boosted their chances of competing on three fronts.
Just days after eliminating Napoli from the Coppa Italia, Lazio beat them again at the Stadio Maradona last weekend, with a late goal from Gustav Isaksen bringing them just three points behind league leaders Atalanta BC.
Although the title is within reach, Baroni will be well aware that his team still has areas for improvement, especially when playing away from home. Lazio haven't won an away game in their last four Serie A defeats, so a victory in Amsterdam would be a testament to their true strength.
Predicting the score for Ajax vs Lazio
Based on the above football analysis, we and leading football websites worldwide have come up with the following predictions for the Ajax vs Lazio match:
- Sportsmole: Ajax 1-2 Lazio
- WhoScore: Ajax 0-1 Lazio
- Our prediction: Ajax 0-1 Lazio
When and where can I watch Ajax vs Lazio live?
To watch the Ajax vs Lazio match live in the Europa League at 3:00 AM on December 13th, viewers can tune in to K+ Sport here or other online sports channels. We wish you enjoyable football viewing moments.
Source: https://baodaknong.vn/nhan-dinh-du-doan-ajax-vs-lazio-phoi-ao-chu-nha-236662.html
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