Thomas Tuchel insists Bayern Munich won’t underestimate Lazio and explains why Matthijs de Ligt didn’t play against Bayer Leverkusen over the weekend.
Bayern Munich will visit Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tomorrow, Wednesday, February 14.
Bayern are five points below Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen after suffering a 3-0 loss on Saturday.
Tuchel expects a reaction from his players, but during a pre-match press conference, he refused to explain his tactical plans for the match.
“I think that in football, it’s normal to change formations,” he said.
“There are many teams that play different systems within the game. We need patience and composure. We already know what we want to do tomorrow; we had a tactical practice, we’ll have a final practice, and then we have a defensive meeting, and we’ll try to win the game.
“We play against an Italian team and I am not going to reveal anything because I know how tactically disciplined Italian teams and Sarri’s teams are, so I won’t say anything,” he continued.
“We are not going to talk about the weaknesses; they are a disciplined team, they run a lot and they are homogenous. They play 4-3-3 and 4-1-4-1. They have a clear pressing system, they know how to defend deep and, as always with Sarri, there are close distances. It’s going to be an emotional game.”
Italian journalists asked if Bayern may underestimate Lazio and how much the Olimpico crowd can help the Biancocelesti.
“I can’t imagine anyone underestimating this game, particularly after what happened on Saturday,” Tuchel replied.
“It’s important to not just criticise ourselves, but allow ourselves with confidence and show our confidence.
“I’ve seen Lazio play very well at home, in the derby against Roma. If the stadium will play a role, we have to lean against that. We have to be ready and show our reaction.
“We showed a reaction after a defeat in a cup game, the team’s self-criticism is not a problem. They always show this in their analysis. Even in games we win, we are not happy with everything we do. We are open and honest with the staff and the team. I am convinced we’ll show a reaction, we already did it in the past. It’s a good opportunity with a good opponent, in a new competition. It’s 50-50 from the start.”
De Ligt spent the entire game on the bench on Saturday but is expected to be involved tomorrow. Tuchel explained why the ex-Juventus centre-back, who was coached by Sarri in Turin, was not involved over the weekend.
“He is having a difficult time because of the competition. He had a difficult decision over the weekend. He had a little back pain problem; he got treatment in the hotel before the match, and then I decided not to take the risk of letting him start,” explained Tuchel.
“Even in the best case, he wouldn’t have finished the game and Upamecano couldn’t play for 90 minutes, so I needed four centre-defenders so I could not risk a back problem during the game for Mattijs. I was 95% he could make, but I didn’t want to gamble on this 5%. He’s a natural fighter, a guy who made space at Ajax and Juventus. We’ll need him, there is tough competition at the moment, and hopefully, it stays like this because this is what we need.”