Lazio have been drawn into Group E of the Champions League, facing them up against Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid and Celtic.
The Biancocelesti returned to Europe’s premier club competition after a two-year absence thanks to their unexpected second-place finish in Serie A last season, something that could have a key impact on the direction of Maurizio Sarri’s project at the club.
The last time that Lazio were in the Champions League was in the 2020-21 season, when they finished second in a group containing Borussia Dortmund, Zenit St Petersburg and Club Brugge. Then coached by Simone Inzaghi, the team were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Bayern Munich.
Looking at Lazio’s opponents in Group E, who poses the biggest threat? Check out the football betting markets to test your knowledge…
1 – Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone’s Atletico are no strangers to the Champions League, having reached the final twice in the last decade. In recent years, however, things have been a little more difficult for the resilient Spanish side.
Last term saw Atletico finished bottom of their group, ending up behind Porto, Bayer Leverkusen and Club Brugge, an incredibly disappointing end to their European campaign.
Things were a little more positive domestically for Simeone’s side last season, seeing them finish third in La Liga, just a point behind their bitter rivals Real Madrid.
Considering their poor European campaign last season and Simeone’s experience, Atletico will likely prove to be Lazio’s toughest test in Group E.
2 – Feyenoord
The next team in Group E is one Lazio know all too well: Feyenoord. The Eredivisie side were in the same Europa League group as Maurizio Sarri’s outfit last term, where they lost 4-2 before edging out a 1-0 win.
The Dutch club escaped the group before beating Shakhtar Donetsk in the Round of 16, winning 8-2 on aggregate. In the quarter-finals, they fell to Jose Mourinho’s Roma in a 4-2 aggregate loss.
Domestically, Feyenoord shined last season and won the Eredivisie title, finishing seven points ahead of second-place PSV, ending a six-year wait for the championship.
Whilst Feyenoord will likely pose a threat to Lazio in Group E, the Biancocelesti know they can beat the Dutch side and will likely play fairly balanced matches both home and away.
3 – Celtic
The final team joining Lazio in Group E is Celtic, who continued their usual dominance in the Scottish Premiership last season, finishing seven points ahead of bitter rivals Rangers. The two teams last met in the Europa League in the 2019-20 campaign, where the Scots won both games 2-1.
Last season, Celtic finished bottom of their group in the Champions League, finishing behind Real Madrid, RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk.
They had no trouble in the league, comfortably beating out Rangers for the title, and won the Scottish Cup after beating Inverness in the final.
Lazio will be feeling confident of their chances against Celtic but cannot afford to drop points to the Scots if they want to progress to the knock-out stages.
