Maurizio Sarri, the coach of Lazio, has expressed his desire for his team to approach their upcoming Champions League Round of 16 encounter against Bayern Munich with fervor. Sarri emphasized the potential for success, asserting that “Nothing is impossible,” while also highlighting Bayern Munich’s susceptibility to losing tactical equilibrium.
The initial fixture between the two sides concluded with a 1-0 victory for Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico, courtesy of a penalty converted by Ciro Immobile. This outcome provides Lazio with a favorable position as they prepare to visit the Allianz Stadium in Munich for the second leg, scheduled for Tuesday at 20:00 GMT.
Given the abolishment of the away goals rule, any victory achieved by Bayern Munich with a one-goal margin would necessitate extra time.
“I do not feel particularly emotional, as here we need to be courageous and determined,” said the coach in his press conference.
“We are aware of how difficult it is going to be, which ought to give us that spirit of sacrifice. Nothing is impossible in football, this must give us courage. We must be fired up and angry.
“Bayern Munich are a top quality team and they can score goals easily. Thinking we could just sit there and defend for 100 minutes is a bad idea, we’ve got to have the courage to push forward.
“I have absolutely no doubt they will run harder than us tomorrow, but it’s about efficiency too. There’s no point running an extra 2km if the opponent moves the ball quicker in the decisive opportunity. I hope they will leave spaces for us to enjoy, as usually Bayern lose their tactical balance.”
Recently, the German team, under the management of Thomas Tuchel, has encountered difficulties. Their forthcoming match will be further challenged by the absence of several key players due to suspension or injury. Dayot Upamecano is suspended, while Daniel Peretz, Noussair Mazraoui, Sacha Boey, Kingsley Coman, Bouna Sarr, and Tarek Buchmann will also be unavailable for selection.
Does Sarri therefore expect Tuchel to introduce some changes to shake things up?
“It’s possible, I think Davies will return from the start or Joshua Kimmich as a full-back. Whoever plays will be strong, including their young players. We must not be concerned about individuals, but the whole team.”
President Claudio Lotito, accompanied by the squad, embarked on the journey shortly after issuing a legal threat against Serie A regarding refereeing decisions following the team’s 1-0 defeat to Milan. During the match, three players were dismissed from play.
“It was a great performance, we weren’t really struggling even down to 10 men, as we had two chances to win it with Ciro Immobile. It was a bitter pill to swallow.
“We hope that all the disappointment can be transformed into positive energy tomorrow. I want to thank the fans who are making the trip and I hope they can return home a little less furious than they did on Friday night.”
Prior to this encounter, Lazio suffered a 2-1 defeat against Fiorentina, a match during which Sarri characterized their performance as consistently lacking vigor, from the initial whistle to the final moments. He cautioned that the team may not possess the requisite capacity to effectively manage participation in multiple tournaments.
“I don’t think there’s a lot that isn’t working, but playing every three days, that takes a toll. Playing this match will give us an enormous boost in terms of experience. Being mentally competitive every 72 hours takes time to develop, we are not there yet.
“I had some positive sensations in recent weeks, I feel that something has changed within the squad. Perhaps it’s me illogically trying to convince myself it’s positive, but that is my sensation.”
Sarri has affirmed that both Matias Vecino and Mattia Zaccagni have not yet fully recovered from their injuries, thereby restricting their capacity to participate in matches to limited durations.
Currently, Italy stands as the frontrunner in the competition for securing an additional slot in the forthcoming expanded Champions League season. The potential elimination of Bayern Munich would significantly enhance their chances in this regard.
“Italian football went through a difficult period, but I don’t think Serie A is the worst league in the last couple of years. We are a step below the Premier League purely because of economic reasons, but not below the others.
“There are a couple of clubs at the top level in Spain, one in France, two in Germany, but as an average I think Italian teams are right up there.”