Champions League, Round of 16, Second Leg
Tuesday March 5 2004
Fußball Arena, Munich
Bayern Munich - Lazio 3-0
Lazio don't take chances and are punished by superior Bayern
On February 14 Lazio had stunned Bayern at the Olimpico by beating the German champions 1-0. After a Ciro Immobile penalty the Biancocelesti could have got a second against ten man Bayern but even the win with the solitary goal gave them a chance of qualification. The Germans however were still clear favourites.
The teams
The Bavarians made a few changes to the team fielded in Rome. Dayot Upamecano was suspended, Noussair Mazraoui out injured while Kim-Min jae was dropped. In came Matthijs de Ligt, Eric Dier and Aleksandar Pavlovic. Kinglsey Coman was still missing through injury.
Lazio had Patric out injured while Mattia Zaccagni was fit again. The only other change was Luca Pellegrini instead of Elseid Hysaj.
First half
The six-time Champions League winners predictably started strongly but Lazio seemed to hold up well in the opening stages.
Bayern's first real chance came in the 17th minute when danger man Harry Kane curled a low shot from the edge of the box but it took a slight deflection off Mario Gila and went just wide.
Lazio absorbed the pressure well and had a huge chance in the 37th minute. Zaccagni put in a cross from the left, it spun up off De Ligt's head to an unmarked Ciro Immobile in front of goal but the Lazio striker headed wide of the near post when he possibly should have aimed it across goal to the far post. A massive missed opportunity to put "Die Roten" in even more difficulty in the tie.
The big clubs don't often let you off in these circumstances and Bayern proved no exception to the rule. Not even one minute later they took the lead. Raphaël Guerreiro mishit a shot inside the area and it turned into a fortuitous but perfect assist for Kane who headed in from close range. Bayern 1 Lazio 0. The tie was now completely square.
Lazio then hoped to survive until half time after Jamal Musiala went close when he stretched forward on a low cross from the right but his left footed effort went just wide. It was not to be however as in the 47th minute, despite the referee only giving one minute of additional time, the Germans scored again.
On a corner from the left the ball was headed backwards and away but only as far as de Ligt lurking inside the right vertex of the area. The Dutchman coordinated himself perfectly and struck a volley towards goal where Thomas Müller headed it in. At first it looked like a superb direct shot by the former Juventus defender but on the replay the German veteran's deflection was clear. Bayern 2 Lazio 0.
An unfortunate end of the half for the visitors who had controlled the game well up until Immobile's miscued header.
Second half
The second half was more of a formality with Bayern cruising and Lazio unable to convert possession into any real danger.
In the 61st minute Maurizio Sarri tried to reshuffle the team and made three changes all at once. In midfield Danilo Cataldi came on for Matías Vecino while up front Gustav Isaksen and Taty Castellanos replaced Mattia Zaccagni and Immobile.
The Bavarians however were increasingly threatening on the break and definitely closed the tie in the 66th minute. Leroy Sanè ran at the Lazio defence and went for a low left footed curler which Ivan Provedel parried but Kane was in the right place for the simple tap in . Bayern 3 Lazio 0.
Lazio now undecided between still going for a comeback or trying to limit the damage and avoid humiliation.
In the 70th minute it could have been four when Müller was put through on goal but his powerful shot came back off the post to Provedel's left.
Lazio did have a chance to give themselves some hope but in the 72nd minute Luis Alberto, with time and space right on the edge of the area, had his shot go narrowly wide after taking a deflection off a defender.
Numerous substitutions followed, four by Bayern and two more by Lazio (Pedro for Felipe Anderson in the 75th and Daichi Kamada for Luis Alberto in the 80th) as the game had practically said what it had to say. Final score: Bayern 3 Lazio 0.
Lazio had no illusions on qualifying but it was still a disappointment. Lazio had two regrets, not scoring a second goal in Rome and not taking the lead in Munich.
Lazio had a good run however and it was certainly no dishonour going out 1-3 to Bayern Munich. The difference in size and spending power of the two clubs would have given a far wider outcome.
Who played for Bayern
Neuer, Kimmich, De Ligt, Dier, Guerreiro (78' Davis), Pavlovic, Goretza, Sanè (89' Laimer), Muller (78' Tel), Musiala (90' Gnabry)
Substitutes: Da Peretz, Ulreich, Kim, Choupo-Moting, Zaragoza
Manager: Tuchel
Who played for Lazio
Provedel, Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini, Guendouzi, Vecino, (61' Cataldi), Luis Alberto (80' Kamada), Felipe Anderson (75' Pedro), Immobile (61' Castellanos), Zaccagni (61' Isaksen)
Substitutes: Sepe, Magro, Hysaj, Lazzari, Ruggeri, Napolitano
Referee: Vinčić (Slovenia)
Goals: 38' Kane, 45+1 Muller, 66' Kane
Bookings: Romagnoli (L), Cataldi (L), Pellegrini (L)
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