As we head into the final stretch of the 2024/25 season, both Lazio and Roma are pushing for European qualification – can they pull it off?
Lazio bets | Roma bets |
|---|---|
Secure top four finish – 3.00 | Secure top four finish – 34.00 |
Both teams to score v Napoli – 1.82 | Beat Parma and both teams to score – 3.30 |
Reach Europa League final – 4.70 | Reach Europa League final – 9.45 |
Odds courtesy of Betway. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Romans in the Champions League
Secure top four finish: Lazio – 3.00 / Roma – 34.00
Last season saw Roma and Lazio finish right next to each other in the Serie A table, occupying sixth and seventh place respectively. Those positions saw them qualify for the Europa League, although they were quite a distance from the Champions League spots. They both hope to improve on that this year.
Biancocelesti appear most likely to do so right now, having already picked up 45 points and currently sitting in the top four. Claudio Ranieri’s Giallorossi are still some way off, however, and it would take a really strong end to the season to close the gap. However, their form has improved lately.
Lazio are thriving under Marco Baroni, with players such as Taty Castellanos, Nicolò Rovella and Mattia Zaccagni at the forefront. They are already into the UEL Round of 16 and hold a two-point lead over fifth-place Juventus in Serie A – it’s a good place to be. A dip in form since December saw them drop more points than desired, but recent wins over Cagliari and Monza have them back on track.
As for Roma, they need to beat Porto if they are to join their neighbours in the UEL last 32 - a tie they will consider winnable. The Coppa Italia defeat to AC Milan was a minor blip amid excellent domestic form, and they have only lost one league game in their last 10. Only Napoli and Inter Milan have picked up more points than them during that period.
Coming Up Next
BTTS Lazio v Napoli – 1.82 / Roma to beat Parma and BTTS – 3.30
The two Roman rivals couldn’t have more different opponents in their next league fixtures. Lazio face in-form Napoli, and while they are slight favourites at 2.70, Partenopei have won eight of their last 10 – and haven’t had to navigate Europe. Baroni’s men have a big task on their hands, but they could make a real statement if they can come out on top.
Both teams have scored in 75% of Lazio’s home fixtures. Although Napoli have the most Serie A clean sheets, the hosts will be confident in their chances.
Roma, meanwhile, are up against relegation-battlers, Parma – a team that have lost seven of their last 10. They should win, and are at 1.92 to do so, but the fact they have only kept one away clean sheet in 15 makes the BTTS market interesting. Considering both teams have scored in 92% of Parma’s matches, it seems like a smart bet.
Only one team has outscored them over the last 10, and they need to keep that momentum going to re-enter the top six race.
In Search of Silverware
Reach the Europa League final: Lazio – 4.70 / Roma – 9.45
Roma have tasted European victory recently, winning the Europa League in 2022/23 and Conference League the season before. For Lazio, however, the wait has been a lengthy one.
Gli Aquilotti last won a European trophy back in 1999 with a team that featured the great Pavel Nedved, Marcelo Salas and Christian Vieri. They have not advanced past the quarterfinals of any continental tournament since. With how they are currently performing, Baroni’s side will be confident they can change that this year.
What makes it even more exciting is the chance that the two could meet in the next round. A Derby della Capitale in Europe is so rare that it has never actually happened before, and it is one that would certainly excite neutrals. Only time will tell whether it comes to pass.
Regardless of what happens, football in Rome is in a rich vein of form at the moment, and that is lovely to see. There is no doubt that Lazio are ahead of their rivals right now, but there is still much to play for – and that’s