Bayern Munich vs Lazio preview
Any era, however great it may be, does come to an\ end; a great example of this is Bayern Munich. The most powerful German club, which has won 11 straight Bundesliga titles, are massively struggling this season both on the domestic and European front. Manager Thomas Tuchel, brought in mid-season last year to improve the team, has failed massively.
Bayern are ten points behind the impressive Bayer Leverkusen in the league and find themselves almost on the verge of elimination in the UEFA Champions League against SS Lazio. After losing the first leg (1-0) in Italy, Tuchel’s men must get their house in order to save their European ambitions.
Lazio are faring even worse in their domestic campaign; they are currently in ninth place, 11 points adrift of the Champions League places. This means that Lazio have put in more effort in their continental campaign, and beating a club of Bayern’s stature will be a major boost for them.
Bayern Munich have only one win in their last five games, which shows how bad things have gone for the team. One of the major reasons for this has been a major dip in form for several players simultaneously.
Centre-back Dayot Upamecano has been flawless for the first part of the season and has become a liability. The French man was sent off in the first leg and also conceded a penalty, which led to the game’s only goal. Three days later, he was again given his marching orders against Bochum. Bayern lost both of these games.
Joshua Kimmich has also been far from comfortable, making several mistakes that have a domino effect on the entire backline.
Lazio, however, are not faring any better, having lost three of their last five games, and therefore, will need to be at their very best if they are to qualify for the quarter-finals. The Italian team has been heavily reliant on their captain, Ciro Immobile, who, despite only scoring six goals in the league and four in the Champions, remains the club’s top scorer in both competitions.
Bayern Munich vs Lazio predicted lineups
Bayern Munich lineup
One of the major hurdles that Bayern Munich have faced is the number of injuries which have had a huge impact on their season. The team are currently without Sacha Boey, Noussair Mazraoui, Bouna Sarr, Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry. Among these, the absence of Boey, Mazraoui, and Sarr has left the club without a recognised right back. This has been exploited heavily by the opposition’s team.
Coman and Sane are expected to return for the game, which will be music to Tuchel’s ears. Kimmich will continue to play at right back, which means Aleksandar Pavlović will play alongside Leon Goretzka in a double pivot.
Bayern Munich starting XI: Neuer; Davies, Kim-Min Jae, De Ligt, Kimmich; Pavlovic, Goretzka; Sane, Muller Musiala; Kane
Bundesliga title projections after that Bayern Munich defeat:
Bayer Leverkusen: 89.0%
Bayern Munich: 10.9%
Stuttgart: 0.1% https://t.co/yUlqKfVm0e— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) February 18, 2024
Lazio lineup
Lazio’s biggest injury concern remains midfielder Nicolo Rovella, who has been an integral part of the team but has been sidelined for a month because of a pubic bone injury. Centre-back Patric, who is currently out with an ankle injury, is another concern. However, this still leaves Sarri with a strong group of players to choose his starting XI.
The main onus will be on the duo of Immobile and Luis Alberto, who have been the leading men in attack and midfield, respectively.
Lazio starting XI: Provedel; Marusic, Gilla, Romanglio, Pellegrini; Alberto, Vecino, Guendouzi; Zaccagni, Immobile, Anderson
Bayern Munich vs Lazio predictions
This game is the perfect embodiment of too much to lose. Both Bayern and Lazio have pretty much underachieved on their domestic targets for the season. So, the Champions League is the only competition that offers hope to end the season on a high.
However, Bayern Munich are the team more desperate for a victory considering this is the only trophy they can possibly win now. And with the home support of Allianz Arena backing the individual brilliance of Bayern’s players, it will get them over the line.
FootTheBall predicts a 3-1 win for Bayern Munich.