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The Biancocelesti’s victory was the biggest surprise of the Champions League’s Round of 16 and ahead of the return match our Italian football expert, Daniele Fisichella, has prepared Bayern Munich vs Lazio prediction, team news, lineups and fixtures.
Lazio are looking to win a Champions League knockout out tie for the first time in their history, but can they, once again, resist against the German champions?
Our Bayern Munich vs Lazio prediction is for Bayern to win the match 2-0.
In this article:
Champions League, Round of 16 second leg, Tuesday, March 5th, 20:00 (UK)
Last season’s German champions are in crisis and have started looking for a new manager.
Thomas Tuchel was fired last week but will stay on until the end of the season and progressing in the Champions League represents a way to save his reputation and avoid Bayern enduring a first trophyless season since 2011/12.
In the build-up to their stoppage time win against RB Leipzig (thanks to Harry Kane’s 27th goals of the season in Bundesliga), Tuchel insisted Bayern can still win something this year.
It is highly unlikely the Bavarians will catch Bayer Leverkusen who have an eight-points lead with 11 games remaining. Therefore, the club that has won the last 11 league titles in Germany will focus all its attention on Europe.
In the last three seasons Bayern have not gone past the quarter finals in the Champions League but they hold an amazing record at home, having lost only one of their last 22 games (3-2 vs PSG in April 2021).
In the last three seasons, they’ve only failed to score once (last November in their 0-0 draw against Copenaghen) in 13 games, where they averaged exactly three goals per game (39 in total).
Despite all their troubles, Thomas Tuchel’s side numbers at home are impressive this season: they’ve only lost once (1-0 vs Werder Bremen, in a game where they deserved more) and drew twice since August. In the Bundesliga home table, they’re just one point behind leaders Leverkusen and have scored five more goals than them (39 against 34).
As the game at the Olimpico highlighted, Bayern is nowhere near the finished article. At times, it looks like they’re lacking an identity and relying too much on individual skills.
Under Tuchel, Bayern has lost on average almost one of every four competitive games (11 of 44) and has conceded 54 in 44 Bundesliga games, averaging 1.2 goals against per 90 minutes.
On the other hand, the Germans have scored 31 goals more than Lazio in the league (63 against 32), having played three games less.
In the first leg, Kane and Company failed to record a single shot on target, and in fact, Lazio’s xG value was superior (1.40 vs 1.13), but it is unlikely Bayern will draw another blank as they’ve only failed to score seven times since last season.
Indeed, it was the first time Bayern didn’t have a shot on target in any match in any competition since their 2018-19 last-16 first leg against Liverpool.
This season, Maurizio Sarri has abandoned the high press and the large spells of possession to focus more on quick counterattacks. This tactic has paid off in some big matches, but Lazio has also been dominated by those teams (like Inter and Fiorentina lately) that played at high intensity.
The Biancocelesti’s success last season was also built on an extremely solid defence (25 clean sheets in all competitions and only 21 goals conceded away from home), whereas in this campaign, they’ve already let in 26 goals on their travels and kept just 14 clean sheets.
Ahead of Friday’s game against AC Milan, Lazio’s offensive numbers are very average: they’ve got Italy’s 10th-best attack and are third from bottom in Serie A for shots taken.
Having already lost ten games on the road this season (including to Feyenoord and Atletico Madrid), avoiding defeat in Munich looks like an ominous task for the team from the Italian capital.
The game on Tuesday could be a low-scoring affair, considering only 14 out of 36 (38%) Lazio games this season have produced three goals or more, and Sarri’s men have scored more than once only in seven of their 18 away games.
Bayern Munich vs Lazio Prediction odds via bet365 as at 10:10, February 29th, 2024. Odds may now differ.
Bayern Munich are without Mazraoui, Boey and Coman, all injured, plus Upamecano, who’s now suspended after his red card at the Olimpico. Joshua Kimmich might play at right back, with Eric Dier at centre-back. Laimer should form the midfield pair alongside Goretzka.
For Lazio, Patric and Rovella are both doubts due to injuries and Sarri is expected to make some turnover on Friday against AC Milan. Isaksen should start in Munich in place of Zaccagni, with Gila dropping to the bench.
“It’s a victory made of self-sacrifice and suffering,” said Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri after the first leg.
“We are satisfied because we beat one of the strongest teams in Europe, but also sad because the result could have been greater.”
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Kimmich, Dier, Kim, Guerreiro; Laimer, Goretzka; Sane, Muller, Musiala; Kane.
Lazio possible starting lineup:
Provedel; Hysaj, Romagnoli, Casale, Marusic; Guendouzi, Cataldi, Luis Alberto; Felipe Anderson, Immobile, Isaksen
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