SS Lazio ’s qualification to the knockouts is not an appropriate representation of the season they are having. Their poor run of form in the league has seen them weave in and out of the mid and lower-table spots.
Lazio scored 10 points and a zero goal difference in a group featuring Atletico Madrid, Feyenoord Rotterdam and Celtic scoring 7 goals and conceding 7 goals. This explains the sort of season they are having games in which they have been utterly brilliant like the successive wins over Feyenoord in the return leg and Celtic both in Rome and rather unconvincing performances like their horrible outing away to Feyenoord in the Netherlands suffering a 3-1 defeat.
Pedro Rodriguez’s 83rd-minute penalty spell left Rotterdam with a consolation goal following Santiago Gimenez’s brace either side of a Ramis Zarrouki strike.
The bright spot of their group stage campaign came in the 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid at the Stadio Olimpico when goalkeeper Ivan Provedel rushed forward in the late moments of the game rising highest to guide Luis Alberto’s set-piece past Jan Oblak in the 95th minute to gain them a point in Rome that night.
Becoming the 3rd goalkeeper to score in the tournament only behind Vincent Enyeama in September 2010 and Sinan Bolat in December 2009. And just the second goalkeeper to score barring goals from the penalty spot.
Ahead of the knockout legs against Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich, Maurizio Sarri’s side needs to find solutions quickly.
Kingsley Coman’s late strike against Paris Saint-Germain earned Bayern Munich their sixth UEFA Champions League title (previously winners in 1974, 1975,1976, 2001, and 2013). A tally only bettered by AC Milan (7) and Real Madrid (14).
The Bavarians come into the knockouts rich in form. They would be looking to go level with AC Milan in the final season with the current format of thirty-two teams participating at the group stage after UEFA had announced that a new expanded format would be incorporated from the succeeding season.
Thomas Tuchel, having replaced German national team manager Julian Nagelsmann at the helm, reinforced his squad with English national team forward and Captain Harry Kane in the summer. Heavy on form, Kane became the fastest player to reach 20 Bundesliga goals in the fewest appearances (14).
His 4 goals and 3 assists helped Bayern Munich navigate their group stage featuring English heavyweights Manchester United remarkably finished last in the group, Galatasaray from Turkey, and Danish outfit Copenhagen.
The Bavarians finished top of the group with 16 points on an unbeaten run, dropping points in the nil-nil stalemate with Copenhagen at the Allianz Arena in Munchen.
The Germans recorded successive 1-3 and 2-1 victories over Galatasaray, a 2-1 victory over Copenhagen in Denmark with their opening matchday 4-3 victory over Manchester United courtesy of a Mathys Tel 92nd-minute winner that canceled out Casemiro’s hopes of securing a draw despite his brace at the arena and the 1-0 victory in Manchester rounding up their group stage campaign.
Bayern Munich and Lazio have faced off twice competitively back in 2021. The Bavarians triumphed on both occasions securing a 4-1 victory against Le Aquile Rome and a 2-1 victory back home in Germany. The coming double-legged affair is a chance for Bayern Munich to finally establish dominance or Lazio to put one over their German counterparts.
Match tickets
The first leg Champions League affair between SS Lazio and Bayern Munich will be held at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy on Wednesday, 14th February 2024 21:00:00 GMT with the return leg scheduled for the Allianz Arena, München, Germany on Tuesday, the 5th of March, 2024.
Lazio vs Bayern Munich tickets are available on the official ticketing portal on the UEFA website.
Team News
Line ups
Bayern Munich are one of the first names in European football and for Lazio not to be overrun by this high-flying Thomas Tuchel team, they need to shape up to their best. Game time of veteran forwards Pedro Rodriguez and Ciro Immobile two time
Daichi Kamada and the French midfielder who joined over the summer will also be essential to providing company for Joshua Kimmich in the midfield battle.
SS Lazio XI – Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Casale, Lazzari; Guendouzi, Rovella, Kamada; Andersen, Immobile, Zaccagani.
Club captain for Bayern Munich Manuel Neuer was ruled out for the rest of the 2022/23 season after fracturing the tibia and fibula in his right leg whilst skiing during the winter break. He’s now overcome that injury and is entirely back in the squad, a position that gave the Bavarians issues trying to find a replacement over the summer. Forward player Serge Gnabry is the only long-term worry having picked up a tendon injury in early December.
The Kane-Sane duo would lead the charge with support from Jamal Musiala and Kingsley Coman.
Tuchel will rely on the brilliance of Joshua Kimmich to dictate proceedings from the middle of the pack with either Leon Goretzka or Konrad Laimer providing him with running power.
Bayern Munich XI – Neuer; Mazaroui, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Goretzka, Kimmich; Coman, Musiala, Sane; Kane
Prediction
Entertaining tie on the books but Bayern Munich’s squad depth and quality should see them pip over the Italian outfit over both legs.
Lazio 1-3 Bayern Munich
