Ciro Motionless of Lazio scores his staff’s first objective from the penalty-spot throughout the UEFA Champions League spherical of 16 first leg match between SS Lazio and FC Bayern München at Stadio Olimpico on February 14, 2024 in Rome, Italy.
| Picture Credit score: Getty Photos
Excessive and huge. Headers and half-volleys. Free kicks and extra. It doesn’t matter what Bayern Munich tried, the German membership merely could not discover the objective. None of Bayern’s 16 pictures have been on track Wednesday in a 1-0 loss at Lazio within the first leg of the Champions League’s spherical of 16.
4 days after a dangerous loss within the Bundesliga, Bayern once more did not meet expectations.
Lazio captain Ciro Motionless transformed a penalty kick when Bayern was diminished to 10 males halfway by way of the second half after the German membership did not capitalise on a collection of probabilities.
“It has been a troublesome week,” Bayern striker Harry Kane mentioned.
“We began effectively and had some clear probabilities. I had one, Jamal (Musiala) had one, Josh (Kimmich) had one from the sting of the field. In these video games, these are massive moments which we weren’t in a position to take.”
Kane was arrange by Thomas Müller immediately in entrance of the objective seven minutes in however missed excessive with a half-volley.
“They’re those you need and I simply leaned again,” Kane mentioned. “That is soccer and a part of being a striker: you are going to miss them on occasion. The principle factor for me and the staff is to give attention to the following problem. We’re in a tough spell, there is no hiding that. We’re not out of it and we’ll by no means hand over. One spark can change lots and we have to attempt to discover that.”
Along with the 3-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen, the end result places stress on Bayern and coach Thomas Tuchel forward of the return leg March 5.
“From my perspective, we produced a response (to the Leverkusen loss) within the first half,” Bayern’s Thomas Müller mentioned. “We should always undoubtedly have taken the lead within the first half. If we’re speaking a few response, you may’t at all times talk about the end result – which is in fact a pleasant finish product for a response – however at the beginning, we’re speaking about our strategy.”
Bayern, a six-time European champion, has reached the quarterfinals or higher in 11 of its final 12 Champions League campaigns — the exception being a last-16 elimination by Liverpool 5 years in the past.
Lazio, which sits seventh in Serie A, misplaced to Bayern in its solely different round-of-16 look three years in the past. However Maurizio Sarri’s staff, which completed second behind runaway Italian champion Napoli final season, has been in strong type recently, successful 5 of its final seven league matches.
Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano was despatched off for a foul on Gustav Isaksen and Motionless despatched goalkeeper Manuel Neuer the mistaken approach with the following spot kick. The Italy ahead has now scored Lazio’s final 4 targets within the competitors, having reached the 200-goal mark in Serie A over the weekend.
“Enjoying matches like this offers you so many feelings and sharing it with these followers is what we dream of as kids,” Motionless mentioned.
Paris Saint-Germain beat Actual Sociedad 2-0 within the evening’s different match.
Having already seen its probabilities of extending a run of 11 straight Bundesliga titles positioned in jeopardy after falling 5 factors behind Leverkusen, Bayern now faces an uphill battle in Europe, too.
“Our high quality and our expectations as a membership is that in moments like these, we stick collectively,” Müller mentioned. “We are going to give every little thing we now have in each competitors till the final second. … We all know we now have it in us, even when we did not present it tonight. And who’s to say issues will not look lots completely different in three weeks’ time.”
Bayern managed the sport however could not fairly discover the goal early on. Leroy Sané additionally missed a free kick narrowly huge after the half-hour mark.
After the break, Neuer did effectively to smother a close-range effort from Isaksen, who had solely the goalkeeper to beat after receiving a ball excessive from Luis Alberto. Then Kane missed once more with a header.
Earlier than kickoff, Bayern followers launched flares onto the sphere and crammed the guests’ part with hearth and smoke. After the ultimate whistle, Lazio followers danced within the stands as techno music blasted by way of the stadium audio system.
It was solely Lazio’s second ever win within the knockout section, after beating Valencia in 2000.
