The Lazio coach ahead of the first leg of the round of 16: ‘I expect a strong Bayern. In the Champions League these teams never make mistakes.’
Everything is ready at Lazio’s home ground for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. The formidable Bayern Munich is coming to the Olimpico, posing a tough challenge for Maurizio Sarri’s men. “We must think it’s not impossible; otherwise, we’ve already defeated ourselves in our minds,” explained the Tuscan coach. “
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How do you approach a seemingly impossible mission?
“By thinking it’s not impossible; otherwise, we’ve already defeated ourselves in our minds. They come in as favorites, but we must approach the game with enthusiasm. It’s an exciting match to experience, to go in with confidence even though they might be much stronger. We must have the confidence to try at all costs. A bold attitude, without hesitation. On paper, they are favorites; let’s see on the field.”
What are your feelings when facing a team that will likely have possession and be in your half?
“When there’s suffering, we suffer together. There will be difficulties to overcome, which is inevitable when facing teams of this caliber. We must do the opposite of what we did against Inter in the Supercoppa when we were at the mercy of events. We must confront them.”
Regarding the mentality you criticized after the Cagliari match (Lazio won 3-1):
“At the end of the day, moments of trouble come out inevitably in all jobs. Especially when you work 3-4 years with the same team, there are heavy moments to face. We shouldn’t forget that we play a game, and we do it for fun too. We must return to having a sense of fun on the field, with all the responsibilities we must assume. We should take the field never forgetting that we are privileged, starting from this premise.”
What Bayern do you expect? You never gave up on Vecino in the Champions League. Will he play, or Cataldi?
“Vecino wasn’t particularly well, it shouldn’t be a huge problem. We’ll decide tomorrow. I expect a strong Bayern. These are teams that may make mistakes in some league matches, but not in the Champions League.”
Can Luis Alberto play closer to Immobile?
“Luis Alberto is our most offensive midfielder; in the vast majority of actions, he should play close to him. But he likes to play a lot of balls, and sometimes he drops back. I played a lot with the attacking midfielder, but what I want Luis to do, he can’t. I need someone who attacks spaces; Luis is good at handling the ball. And he has now learned to be a real midfielder; I’m happy with that.”
How is the Sarri project progressing at Lazio? Can it go further?
“What the club needs will be considered by the president; I express my opinion. Everyone talks about many variations, but then in the leagues, teams with the highest turnover win. Then there are extraordinary cases.”
How are Rovella, Patric, and Zaccagni?
“Patric trained with us, but he has some difficulty in physical duels. Zaccagni is still out; yesterday, he could train without studs, but he still feels pain. Rovella has an injury that has worsened, and he’s struggling.”
