Lazio’s 2023, for now, is a year marked by ups and downs: it is true that the Biancocelesti achieved an exhilarating victory against Milan, but it is equally incontrovertible that they lost many points along the way against Lecce, Empoli and Verona , as well as having come out with broken bones from the Champions League match against Atalanta. The first leg of the play-off against Cluj in the Conference League (Thursday 16 February at the Olimpico, at 9pm), therefore, takes on the contours of a crossroads: winning would mean an injection of confidence. “When we talk about a European competition, we can’t quibble so much: it must be respected, stop – Maurizio Sarri began, in the press conference -. It’s always about important matches”. The coach’s tactical choices could be influenced by his commitments in Serie A: “The championship is a priority, it can give us access to economic income higher than that of the Conference League. From a sporting point of view, however, it is clear that a European competition owes us I make the choices, however, based on the players’ tiredness,” guaranteed Sarri.
The discussion then moves on to the singles, from the Maximiano-Provedel runoff between the posts (“I’m starting to talk about it now with the goalkeeper coaches”), to Luca Pellegrini (“he’s growing in condition, but he’s only had two training sessions ; let’s see if tomorrow can be used for a piece of the match or not”), up to Immobile: “Ciro now lives with a slight ‘spin’, it’s normal for someone used to scoring one goal per game. He needs to play, but he certainly can’t play two 90′ games in three days“. As far as Cluj is concerned, the Biancocelesti coach believes “it is useless to think about the coat of arms, in Europe they are all tight matches, thinking otherwise is superficiality”. “I have seen their last matches, all conditioned by atmospheric events: ice, snow, strong winds… They have two-three top level players, including Krasniqi, strong, ready for a big game”, he adds. Elseid Hysaj also took part in the conference. “The Conference? An extra trophy on the showcase is always nice – says the Albanian full-back, who has now become a father for the third time -. Compared to last year, I’ve settled in a little better, I’m training with greater serenity”. “The points lost in the championship? In football you can lose and win, we’ve already been able to get back up from difficult moments,” he concludes.
Source: Ansa
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
