Southampton vs Lazio

Southampton and Lazio are set to square off at St Mary’s Stadium in their first-ever meeting.

Despite a fourth-place finish in the Championship last season, Southampton got the better of Leeds United 1-0 in the Wembley playoff to earn Premier League promotion a year after being relegated to the second tier. Keen to avoid the same fate on their top-flight return, Russell Martin’s men have gone from strength to strength in pre-season, clocking up four wins in five friendlies, barring a shock 2-0 defeat to Oxford United. Since that remains their only loss in nine games (W7, D1), the Saints will take their home field in a buoyant mood, looking to build momentum following an unconvincing 1-0 win against Millwall. Confidence stems from Southampton’s decent-looking home form since the start of March, which has seen them lose just once in seven (W5, D1).

As for Lazio, it’s been a transitional summer for the Stadio Olimpico outfit following an underwhelming seventh-place Serie A finish last term. In addition to severing ties with head coach Igor Tudor, the Italian giants have offloaded long-serving stalwarts Ciro Immobile, Luis Alberto, and Felipe Anderson. It’s up to the new boss, Marco Baroni, to take ‘I Biancocelesti’ back to their former glory, though the lack of high-profile signings could throw a spanner in the works. Unfazed by uneventful summer dealings, Lazio have claimed four wins in five pre-season friendlies (D1), netting 2+ goals in each victory, including a 2-0 triumph against Frosinone in their last match.