Lazio v Borussia Dortmund: Haaland will hurt hosts

Lazio 3.55/2 v Borussia Dortmund 2.1411/10; The Draw 3.953/1
Tuesday 20 October, 20:00
Live on BT Sport Extra

Lazio struggling after recent heartbreak

Lazio and Borussia Dortmund will both have aspirations of qualifying from Group F, which includes Zenit Saint Petersburg and Club Brugge.

If Lazio are to achieve this ambition then they will have to improve their form, after a disappointing start to their Serie A campaign. After winning the season opener against Cagliari, Simone Inzaghi's team are without a win in three (D1 L2) and lost 3-0 at Sampdoria over the weekend.

Lazio can perhaps be forgiven for starting in sluggish style. The pain of their collapse in form last season, which saw them go from competing for the title with Juventus to a fourth placed finish, is still painfully fresh in the memory.

Dortmund also saw their title chances in Germany disappear, shortly after lockdown ended, but have started the new campaign in decent form. At the weekend they won 1-0 at Hoffenheim and are now third in the Bundesliga after four games (W3 L1), level on points with the reigning champions Bayern Munich.

Haaland will continue scoring

The odds of 2.1411/10 for a Borussia Dortmund win seem about right given Lazio's form. Lucien Favre's side are young, improving and hungry.

There is no one this is more true of than Erling Haaland. The Norwegian was named as a substitute at the weekend, so will be fresh for his return to a competition that he excelled in last season.

Haaland scored eight goals in six group games for Red Bull Salzburg, before adding two more in the last-16, having been transferred to Dortmund. He's already scored five goals this season, taking his tally for Borussia Dortmund to 21 goals in just 24 appearances. With the goals also flowing for Haaland at international level (seven caps, six goals), he simply seems unstoppable and looks value at 4.77/2 to open the scoring.