MADRID, 13 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Lazio and Bayern meet this Wednesday at the Olympic Stadium in Rome in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League, a match to which the Germans arrive shaken after losing at the weekend against Bayer Leverkusen (3-0) and see how the leadership of the Bundesliga slips away to five points, while Lazio seeks to make a profit in front of its home crowd ahead of the return leg in Munich.
Lazio receives Bayern at the Olympic Stadium in Rome (9:00 p.m.) in the first match of the round of 16 tie, a match that the Italians come to after winning in Serie A, while the Germans fell in the momentous match in the fight for the Bundesliga against Leverkusen by a resounding 3-0, so they will try to get even against Sarri's men.
It won't be easy for Bayern against a Lazio that has gone four games without losing at home, and that has only lost in front of its fans this season against Inter and Genoa. In fact, in European terms the Olympic Stadium in Rome has become a fortress for the celestial team, since it has only lost one of its last 12 home games, achieving victory in six of them.
For its part, Bayern, who have shown themselves to be very reliable away from home in this Champions League, winning in their three games, need a great game to, in addition to getting the tie back on track for the return leg in Munich, redeem themselves from the bad feelings left in the Bay Arena against Leverkusen. A defeat against the aspirin team in the Bundesliga that ended a streak of three consecutive victories as visitors.
Regarding the experience of the German giant against Italian teams in the top continental competition, Bayern has emerged victorious the last five times it has faced an Italian rival, with the double victory against Inter in the group stage last Champions edition are the latest precedent.
This Wednesday will be the third time that Lazio and Bayern Munich meet in an official match, and for the moment the balance is in favor of the Germans. Both teams met in this same phase of the Champions League three seasons ago, and on that occasion, the team then led by Flick managed to win both matches, the first of them in Rome by 1-4.
In terms of sports, Bayern comes into the match greatly diminished by casualties, especially at the extremes, where Gnabry and Coman are injured, and Bryan Zaragoza is a doubt. Some casualties that would make Musiala the player to occupy one of the extremes, leaving the other to Sané, leaving the midfielder to Thomas Müller. On the other hand, in case Davies fails to recover in time, Guerreiro would take his place at left-back.
For its part, Lazio has the doubt of Patric in the axis of the defense and of the winger Zaccagni, both absent in the Italians' last four games. As for the eleven, Sarri is expected to propose a double pivot formed by Vecino and Guendouzi with Luis Alberto as a midfielder, and above a trident formed by Isaksen, Immobile and Felipe Anderson.