MATCHDAY: Lazio at Spezia, Lyon visits Toulouse

Thu, Apr 13, 2023
Soccer News (AP)

A look at what's happening in European soccer on Friday:

ITALY

Lazio hopes to solidify its second-place spot in Serie A when it visits Spezia. Napoli is likely out of reach at the top of the table but Lazio wants to hold off third-place Roma and is on a seven-game unbeaten run in the league. Spezia enters the match one spot and four points above the relegation zone. Cremonese hosts Empoli in the other game. The hosts are in the drop zone, just one point above last-place Sampdoria.

SPAIN

Osasuna visits Rayo Vallecano with both teams needing a win to boost their slim chances of finishing the season with a European competition berth. Osasuna is in eighth place with Rayo one point behind in ninth. In Spain this season, the top four finishers go to the Champions League, the fifth-place team to the Europa League, and the sixth-place team to the Europa Conference League. Osasuna is seven points behind Betis, which is currently in sixth. But Osasuna can win a direct pass to the Europa League if it beats Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final next month.

GERMANY

It's a meeting of two former giants now facing relegation from the Bundesliga as Schalke plays Hertha Berlin. They are the bottom two in the table with seven games remaining and dropping out of the top division would be a major blow to either club. Schalke is in its first season since promotion after a relegation in 2021 and Hertha has not been outside of the top flight since 2013.

Soccer

FRANCE

Lyon visits mid-table Toulouse looking to record a third straight league win and maintain its outside chance of securing a Europa League spot. Lyon is in seventh place but victory would move it level on points with sixth-place Rennes. Striker Alexandre Lacazette has scored consistently since rejoining Lyon from Premier League club Arsenal and has netted 18 league goals. He needs one more to move level at the top of the scoring charts with Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe and Lille's Jonathan David.

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