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Lazio host Torino at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Tuesday as mid-week Serie A action returns for the 2020-21 season.
Lazio have had a very inconsistent season in Serie A so far and sit sixth in the table after 24 rounds of league fixtures. The Biancocelesti are also on the verge of elimination in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 at the hands of holders Bayern Munich after a 4-1 home defeat in the first leg.
Lazio's Champions League wounds were further deepened in Serie A on Saturday when they were rocked by a 2-0 defeat away at Bologna.
Torino's form has improved recently, helping them jump out of the relegation zone and move up to 17th place in the table. But Granata's fresh crisis in the form of a COVID-19 outbreak within their squad could cost them a precious few points in the race for safety in Serie A.
Lazio vs Torino Head-to-Head
Lazio have been the dominant team in their recent fixtures against Torino. The side from the Italian capital have won five out of their ten previous games against the Turin-based club. Torino have managed only two wins in that span, with the other game ending in a draw.
The two sides produced a thrilling encounter that had as many as seven goals when they met earlier in the season, with Lazio emerging as the victors after stoppage-time goals from Ciro Immobile and Felipe Caicedo helped them to a 4-3 win.
Lazio form guide (all competitions): L-L-W-L-W
Torino form guide (all competitions): L-D-D-D-D
Lazio vs Torino Team News
Lazio
Manuel Lazzari came off the pitch against Bologna with a calf injury and is expected to be out for a month. Simone Inzaghi is missing two other first-team players but has some room for rotation now, with midfielder Gonzalo Escalante back from his one-game suspension and ready to get on the team-sheet.
Injuries: Manuel Lazzari, Luiz Felipe, Stefan Daniel Radu
Suspensions: None
Torino
Torino reported at least eight positive COVID-19 cases on Friday. The club also confirmed that these players and other members of the staff are suffering from the new English-variant of the virus.
The players will be tested once again on Sunday to determine if they can join the squad for the Lazio game. If they remain unavailable and the game does go ahead, manager Davide Nicola will have to field several players from Torino's Primavera squad to make up the numbers.
Injuries: None
COVID-19: Andrea Belotti, Karol Linetty, Nicola Murru, Alessandro Buongiorno, Daniele Baselli, Bremer, Wilfried Stephane Singo, Nicolas N'Koulou.
Suspensions: None
Lazio vs Torino Predicted Line-ups
Lazio Predicted XI (3-5-2): Pepe Reina; Mateo Musacchio, Marco Parolo, Francesco Acerbi; Senad Lulic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Lucas Leiva, Luis Alberto, Adam Marusic; Ciro Immobile, Joaquin Correa
Torino: Starting line-up not predictable at the moment due to the club's COVID-19 crisis.
Lazio vs Torino Prediction
Lazio need to bring back some consistency in their form if they are to challenge for a place in the next season's UEFA Champions League.
Tuesday's game against a depleted Torino side provides a golden opportunity for many Lazio players to regain form and get their season back on track after two defeats in three games.
Torino would be desperately hoping for the postponement of Tuesday's fixture. If the game does go ahead, they could be looking at a heavy defeat that could come as a big blow to their survival hopes this season.
Prediction: Lazio 4-0 Torino
Note: Torino's previous game against Sassuolo was postponed to 17th March due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the squad. There is a growing possibility that this fixture, too, could be heading the same way and be postponed to a later date. A final decision is expected by Monday evening.
