Thursday Football Tips: Back Felipe to fire for Lazio

Lazio v Marseille
Thursday 21 October 17:45 kick-off
Live on BT Sport Extra

Lazio are looking to extend their good recent run as they host Marseille in the Europa League on Thursday, and they’re the subject of our hat-trick bid for this column.

The Italians started the Europa League badly with defeat against Galatasaray but a win over Spartak Moscow forms part of a run of three wins in four, and at home in Rome they’re a fearsome prospect having not lost at the Stadio Olimpico since February.

Marseille arrive in the Eternal City having lost four of their six meetings with Lazio (W1 D1) and on a shocking run of 12 Europa League games without a clean sheet.

And that’s not the ideal defensive problem to have considering Maurizio Sarri’s side have scored 16 goals in their five home games so far – Lazio have conceded a goal in four of those five though so there’s hope for the French visitors.

Just one goal in two draws so far in the Europa League though suggests Jorge Sampaoli’s side could struggle to find the net here – along with having drawn a blank in their last two away games.

So with the hosts big favourites here you have to be looking the way of Ciro Immobile, who is often leading the charge in what can be a swarming Lazio side at home with goals and shots flying in from all angles.

Immobile has had 15 shots on target this season and has scored seven goals in seven games, including against Inter last time out as he returned from injury, and is well fancied to find the net again.

But Felipe Anderson is also an interesting one as he’s really been a threat in the last four games with two goals, eight shots and four on target yet he’s an outstanding price of 4.67/2 on the exchanges to score anytime against a side we know struggles to keep clean sheets.

Sometimes it pays to keep it simple and in a game where some of Lazio’s other main stars have some prohibitive odds attached to them, Anderson offers us the value move.