Champions League: Wounded Bayern Head to Rome

Lazio vs Bayern Munich

Thomas Tuchel’s FC Bayern head to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Wednesday to take on Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio as the knockout phase of Europe’s flagship competition gets underway. 

This tie, Champions League: Lazio vs FC Bayern, has taken on a slightly different look after the weekend results, particularly in the Bundesliga where Tuchel’s men were whacked 3-0 by title rivals Bayer Leverkusen; a result which left them trailing Die Werkself by five points.

Meanwhile, Sarri’s Lazio picked up an impressive 3-1 win away to Cagliari which took them up to eighth in Serie A and back in the mix for European places. 

Back to the Champions League and FC Bayern are the second favourites to win the competition at SBOTOP odds of 4.90, with reigning champions Manchester City the team to beat and priced at 2.90. The Germans will be hurting after a damaging loss to Leverkusen and determined to put things right in Rome.     

Talking Points

200 up for Immobile

Lazio’s talisman, Ciro Immobile, scored three times in the Champions League group stages, and he was in goal action again on Saturday as the Romans bounced back from a defeat to Atalanta the week before.

Lazio opened the scoring thanks to a first-half own goal by Alessandro Deiola, and Immobile doubled the lead early in the second half when he was the first to react to a loose ball, showing how lethal a striker he still is.

It was Immobile’s sixth goal of the league campaign and his 200th in his Serie A career, and he has been more prolific in Europe this term, as Lazio reached the last 16 by finishing second in Group E behind Atletico Madrid.

While Immobile will be a handful for the Bayern defence, look out for wide man Felipe Anderson in the Champions League 2024 highlights. The Brazilian star’s contract runs out in the summer and is a target for Serie A rivals Juventus.

His form has been patchy of late but he was back to his best against Cagliari as he was involved in all three goals and got on the score sheet himself. And dominant centre back Alessio Romagnoli put in an impressive and composed performance; he will need to keep his calm and control on Wednesday when he faces another of the hottest strikers in Europe.       

King Kane’s trophy mission   

Tuchel’s side fell woefully short in the Bundesliga leadership battle at the weekend and that has put pressure on the Bavarians with the title run-in coming into view.

With 13 games to go, Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen are now odds on winning the league and ending a run of 11 successive triumphs for Die Bayern, who are also out of the DFB Pokal after losing to giant-killers FC Saarbrucken in the second round.

After spending 14 years without a trophy at Tottenham, Harry Kane surely thought his megadeal move to Munich would end his silverware drought, but the odds are, unbelievably, now against him, and a pot-less campaign would also be a disaster for Tuchel.

Bayern flew through to the Champions League Round of 16 with five wins and a draw to win Group A.

With four goals and three assists, Kane had a great time in the group stages, and he has plundered 24 already in the Bundesliga, but the Munich men need to get back to winning ways after losing twice already since the return of the Bundesliga in January.

Tuchel has moved in the market and brought in Kane’s old teammate Eric Dier on loan from Spurs, and the defensive midfielder may well find a place on the bench, while Minjae Kim is set to start having returned from the Asian Cup.

But Bayern will be without the injured Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry, so it may well be down to Kane, once again, to get the goals they need.

History

Bayern are indisputably one of the Kings of Europe, with six Champions League or European Cup titles, level with Liverpool and behind only Real Madrid and AC Milan. Lazio’s best effort on the continent was a UEFA Cup Winners Cup triumph in 1999.    

These two teams met at this stage of the 2021 Champions League, and the Bundesliga giants won at a canter, pretty much finishing the tie in Rome with a 4-1 win before strolling to a 2-1 triumph back in Munich.

With four wins and two losses in the last six games, Die Bayern are in slightly better form than Lazio, who have three wins, one draw, and two defeats in that time.

Betting Tip

The Champions League 2024 betting odds see no other option than the Bavarians taking a comfortable path through to the quarterfinals, at odds of 1.10 to win the tie over two legs.

If Bayern take a lead away from Rome at odds of 1.59, then Lazio will have a mountain to climb. At odds of 4.54 to win or 3.59 to draw, the hosts will believe they have a chance to cause an early upset, but they will need to be at their very best and hope that Bayern are beginning to feel some pressure.

 

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.