Monte Carlo, August 30, 2024 – Self-confidence, determination and above all a lot of concentration. These will be the ingredients that Lazio will have to put on the field in every single Europa League match if they want to go far in the competition. Today, the Capitoline team learned about their rivals in the continental competition, through the draw of the ballot boxes (and the algorithm) at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo. The Biancocelesti avoided the most aggressive opponents in each of the four bands on which the calendar of the championship phase tournament was structured, but they cannot even say that they obtained the easiest formations in the various matches. Placed in the first band of the draw, like Roma, the Biancocelesti team is certainly not a candidate for final success and many of its players are new and need to be tested at the highest levels of continental football, as is their coach. For this reason, it will be important to treasure every single match and enjoy the journey, hoping it will be as long as possible, who knows, maybe even reaching the Final at the San Mamés in Bilbao.
From the first urn, Lazio drew the home match against Porto and the away match in Amsterdam against Ajax. The Portuguese lost some of their best players in the summer, such as Conceiçao, Evanilson and Taremi, but they remain one of the big three in the Portuguese championship. The Dragoes are still full of champions, from goalkeeper Diogo Costa, to forwards Galeno and Pepe, without even counting the very talented youngsters who assert themselves every year with the white and blues. This year, all eyes will be on striker Samu Omorodion, who arrived from Atletico Madrid after failing to make the move to Chelsea. Instead, the star of Ajax must shine again. After seeing the generation of De Ligt, Van De Beek and De Jong reach the Champions League semi-finals six seasons ago, the Amsterdam team has taken a few steps back, finishing only fifth last year. A turning point in terms of results does not seem to be around the corner, but be careful because despite the lancers being in a phase of renewal, they remain a fearsome team, especially if faced in their football temple named after Johan Cruijff.
In the second tier, the Biancocelesti will face Real Sociedad at home and Braga away. The Spaniards are now one of the leading teams in La Liga and, despite a couple of excellent sales in Mikel Merino and Robin Le Normand, the Basques have not emerged weakened by the market. The talent of Sucic has been added in midfield, while in attack the trident of Kubo, Barrenetxea and Oyarzabal can be a real nightmare for any defense. The Portuguese are regulars in European football and have a lot of quality in some players and potential plays capable of breaking the game, such as captain Horta, and will be able to rely on the experience of Joao Moutinho.
Two very interesting challenges await Lazio among the teams in the third tier with Luogorets at the Olimpico and Dynamo Kiev away to face. The Bulgarians have always sold their skin very dearly with an experienced team accustomed to winning. Roma already stumbled in the past against the Eastern Eagles in an edition of the Europa League. As for the Ukrainian team, it is clear that the situation in which Ukraine finds itself because of Russia does not encourage football, but this has not stopped the team from the capital from building a team that expertly mixes experience and youth in a mix of some of the most talented players in the country.
The names of Nice and Twente emerged from the last urn, with the French to face at home and the Dutch away. Both teams are extremely similar in terms of average age (24.3 for the French; 24.6 for the Dutch), the balance of talent between the two leans in favor of the team from the French Riviera, last year also fighting for the title for a long time, when the Italian Farioli was on the bench. Twente, on the other hand, is a less high-sounding team in terms of names, but a team that plays fun football and that knows each other very well, for this reason always capable of performing against any opponent
Here is the complete list of Lazio matches in the next Europa League: Porto (C), Ajax (T), Real Sociedad (C), Braga (T), Ludogorets (C), Dynamo Kiev (T), Nice (C), Twente (T).
This article is originally published on sport.quotidiano.ne
