Lazio vs. Borussia Dortmund – Champions League, October 20, 2020

The 2020/21 UEFA Champions League kicks off on Tuesday, October 20, with the strongest teams in Group F – Lazio and Borussia Dortmund – going head-to-head at Stadio Olimpico.

This is undoubtedly one of the standout ties of Matchday 1. Both sides will be aiming to take control of a group that also features Club Brugge and Zenit St. Petersburg, but who will come out on top?

Keep reading to see my Lazio vs. Borussia Dortmund Champions League prediction and betting pick.

The top sports betting sites view Borussia Dortmund as the favorite to win this game. Having said that, the high price for the away win suggests that Lazio won’t make life easy for the visiting team.

The odds for the draw (3.80) stand out to me at first glance, but with both sides known for their attacking approach, we are bound to see plenty of goals one way or another.

It looked as though Lazio was on the verge of ending their 20-year wait for Serie A glory last term. The Eagles stuck in the title race for much of the 2019/20 campaign, but a poor end to the season eventually saw them finish fourth and scrape into the Champions League.

The new campaign brought fresh optimism for Simone Inzaghi’s men, yet it appears they have picked up where they left off last season. Lazio has only managed to claimed four points from their opening four league games this term, with heavy defeats to Atalanta (4-1) and Sampdoria (3-0) leaving the Rome outfit eight points behind early-frontrunner AC Milan.

After netting an astonishing 39 goals in 44 games in all competitions last season, Ciro Immobile has made a slow start to the 2020/21 campaign. The striker scored in the opening-day victory over Cagliari but was sent off in the draw against Inter Milan a week later. If Lazio is to enjoy UCL success this year, Immobile can’t let the team down.

Get used to this connection, it’s just getting started ?

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— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) October 3, 2020

Unsurpsingly, Borussia Dortmund was beaten to the Bundesliga title by reigning Champions League winner Bayern Munich last season. But despite surrendering domestic honors to their old rival once again, UCL qualification was never in doubt.

It feels like BVB is eager to impress this term. Lucien Favre’s side has already registered three clean-sheet victories in the Bundesliga, seeing off Borussia Monchengladbach (3-0), Freiburg (4-0), and Hoffenheim (1-0).

Erling Haaland continues to establish himself as one of the deadliest forwards in Europe. The 20-year-old has already notched up four goals and two assists in four league games this season, and with fellow youngsters Jadon Sancho, Gio Reyna, and Jude Bellingham also shining, the Black and Yellows could go far in the Champions League.

At the end of the day, Dortmund has been far better than Lazio this season. The Italian side has struggled to get going in 2020/21, while BVB looks set for another competitive campaign both domestically and on the European stage.

The Champions League may bring Lazio a welcome break from their Serie A woes, but Dortmund should be too strong for the Eagles on Tuesday.