Maurizio Sarri expressed his sentiment that Lazio’s prospects were significantly diminished by Bayern Munich’s second goal just before halftime, characterizing it as a moment that deprived them of hope. Nonetheless, Sarri maintains a positive outlook on Lazio’s Champions League campaign overall.
In the preceding leg at the Stadio Olimpico, Lazio secured a 1-0 victory courtesy of a penalty converted by Ciro Immobile. However, their fortunes took a turn at the Allianz Arena when Immobile missed a clear opportunity to put his team in front with a diving header off a deflected cross from Mattia Zaccagni. Shortly thereafter, Harry Kane capitalized on the opportunity to open the scoring, followed by Thomas Muller redirecting a volley from Matthijs de Ligt into the net from close range off a corner kick, effectively sealing the first half.
Bayern Munich extended their lead further in the second half with a goal from Kane, while Lazio’s goalkeeper Ivan Provedel managed to thwart another attempt from Muller, deflecting the ball onto the upright to prevent further damage. Despite their efforts, Lazio failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match, ultimately succumbing to a 3-0 defeat.
“We had played well in the first half against a team that, unlike recently, played like a real Bayern. It was to be expected, these teams often raise their game in this competition,” Sarri told Sky Sport Italia.
“We stayed in the game until the second goal, we had the chances to take the lead. I don’t think 1-0 would’ve robbed us of hope, but the second goal saw us go into the locker room very disappointed and without the conviction we could turn it around.”
In light of Dayot Upamecano’s dismissal in the match held in Rome and the subsequent opportunities for Lazio to score additional goals during the initial leg of the encounter, it raises the question of whether Maurizio Sarri, the team’s manager, contemplates the notion that his team ought to have secured a more substantial advantage in the match.
“This thought has been in my mind for weeks, because coming here with a different result would’ve been another story. Conceding one goal wouldn’t have sapped our hope.
“Having said all of that, there is a difference in level of quality.”
Fabio Capello, a pundit for Sky Sport Italia, voiced his dissatisfaction with Maurizio Sarri’s decision to maintain a 4-3-3 formation, suggesting that an alteration could have been more effective in countering Bayern Munich, especially considering their advantage from the first leg. However, when confronted with this suggestion, Sarri dismissed it with a sardonic laugh.
“I wouldn’t even dream of changing system. There is another intensity also because you need three or four touches to do what your opponents can do in two. That much is obvious.”
Has the Champions League campaign of Lazio been deemed positive despite their Round of 16 exit?
“Of course it is positive, a team like ours that manages to play in a tournament of this level being competitive with more victories than defeats, that is positive.”
The current concern revolves around assessing whether Lazio can secure a position in the UEFA Champions League for the forthcoming season.
“We are borderline there too, unfortunately. We have not played to the best of our abilities in Serie A so far this season, so we’ll try to concentrate on that and climb back up.”
Sarri has consistently fallen short of advancing to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, experiencing elimination in the Round of 16 stages while managing Napoli, Juventus, and presently Lazio.