CFR Cluj vs Lazio

CFR Cluj will be looking to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit when they meet Lazio at the Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu in the return leg of their Europa Conference League knockout playoff.

CFR Cluj blew hot and cold during the Europa Conference League group stages (W3, D1, L2) but still claimed a runner-up spot in Group G to progress into the knockouts of a major European competition for the third time this century, last doing so in the 2019/20 Europa League campaign. Too hot to handle at the Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu, Dan Petrescu’s men have lost just one of their last eight home outings in European competitions, excluding qualifiers (W6, D1), with all six wins in that span yielding a clean sheet. But Cluj’s first-leg defeat at the Stadio Olimpico made it eight losses in 11 encounters against Italian opposition (W2, D1), though their only home win in that run came against non-other than Lazio.

In the meantime, Ciro Immobile’s winner in the first leg helped Lazio get their maiden Europa Conference League experience off to a flying start following an underwhelming third-place finish in Europa League Group F behind Feyenoord and Midtjylland. Worryingly, despite coming out victorious in the reverse fixture against Cluj, Maurizio Sarri’s men haven’t won back-to-back European matches since 2018, going 33 straight games without winning twice in a row. Moreover, ‘I Bianconcelesti’ have stuttered on their recent continental travels, picking up just one victory in their last 15 away matches in European competitions (D5, L9), while they have yet to win on hostile turf this season (D1, L2).