Lazio started the UCL knockout stage with a crucial home victory against an uninspiring Bayern Munich.
Lazio defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in the last-16 round of the Champions League on Wednesday. The Italian giants claimed a well-deserved victory to boost their qualification hopes ahead of the second leg.
What happened?
Bayern’s dominance over the possession led to no chances during a non-eventful first half, while Lazio also struggled to gain momentum with their attacks.
The hosts had a perfect chance to get ahead just after the break, but an excellent save from Manuel Neuer denied Gustav Isaksen from close range.
Lazio’s efforts to break the deadlock finally paid off when Dayot Upamecano’s reckless challenge on Isaksen convinced the referee to send him off with a straight red card and award the hosts a penalty. Ciro Immobile then converted the spot-kick with a cool shot into the bottom left corner of the net to put Lazio ahead in the 70th minute.
Thomas Tuchel made a few changes to his 10-man side but failed to change the course of the game. Bayern’s attacks remained limited to Jamal Musiala’s solo runs as they ended the game without a single shot on target.
Lazio vs Bayern Munich: Man of the Match
Gustave Isaksen deserves the Man of the Match title for his brilliant performance on the right-hand side of Lazio’s attacking line. The Danish star was a constant threat to Bayern’s attacking line with his devastating runs, successfully completing four of his five dribbling attempts.
Player Ratings
Lazio: Provedel (6); Marušić (6), Gila Fuentes (7), Romagnoli (7), Hysaj (6); Cataldi (6), Guendouzi (6), Alberto (7); Isaksen (8), Anderson (6), Immobile (7).
Bench: Lazzari (6), Pedro (7), Castellanos (6), Patric (6), Kamada (6).
Bayern Munich: Neuer (7); Mazraoui (6), Upamecano (4), Kim (7), Guerreiro (6); Kimmich (7), Goretzka (6); Sané (5), Müller (6), Musiala (7); Kane (5).
Bench: De Ligt (6), Tel (5), Choupo-Moting (6).
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