The impending adversaries of Lazio and Roma, in the Champions League and Europa League correspondingly, encountered setbacks in their domestic competitions during the recent weekend fixtures. Bayern Munich, facing Lazio in the Champions League, were unexpectedly held to a draw by Freiburg, while Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham in the Premier League.
Lazio, representing one of the Italian clubs engaged in European encounters next week, are slated to visit Bavaria for a showdown against Bayern at the Allianz Arena in the second leg of their Champions League Round of 16 encounter on Tuesday evening. Maintaining a 1-0 lead from their previous triumph at the Stadio Olimpico, Maurizio Sarri’s team enters the clash with an advantageous position.
Bayern Munich, under the stewardship of Thomas Tuchel, have endured a period of inconsistency since the onset of the new year, potentially trailing Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen side by ten points by the conclusion of the forthcoming weekend. With just one victory in their last five matches across various competitions, Bayern’s draw against Freiburg underscores their recent struggles.
Similarly, the year 2024 has posed challenges for Italian tactician Roberto De Zerbi and his Brighton squad. Despite the inclusion of promising talent Julio Enciso in the starting lineup for the first time since mid-August, Brighton’s fortunes have been modest, garnering only two wins in eight Premier League fixtures since the turn of the year. The recent 3-0 defeat to Fulham, following a prior loss to Wolves in the FA Cup, marks a concerning trend for De Zerbi’s side.
The wavering form exhibited by Brighton and Bayern in their respective domestic leagues serves as an encouraging prospect for both Lazio and Roma. Lazio, requiring only a draw to secure passage to the Champions League quarter-finals, are poised to capitalize on their advantageous position. Meanwhile, Roma faces the challenge of navigating two legs of their Europa League round of 16 tie against Brighton.
Additional European fixtures next week include Atalanta, squaring off against Sporting CP, and Milan taking on Slavia Prague amidst their cup and league endeavors against arch-rivals Sparta Prague. Fiorentina, meanwhile, will contend with Maccabi Haifa following the latter’s domestic fixture against Hapoel Hadera in the Israeli Premier League.
Looking ahead, Napoli is set to travel to Barcelona, while Inter ventures to Madrid to confront Atletico on the 12th and 13th of March, respectively.