Coach Thomas Tuchel can plan for FC Bayern Munich’s Champions League game against Lazio Rome with captain Manuel Neuer in goal. After another break in training following the loss of the top Bundesliga game against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, the captain took part in the final practice session on the club’s premises before the trip to Italy. The 37-year-old recently had knee problems.
As with the 3-0 defeat, Tuchel will still have to do without some injured or fit players such as Alphonso Davies, Konrad Laimer, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman in the first leg of the round of 16 at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday (9 p.m./DAZN). “It is advisable to show calm,” warned Tuchel, who had to endure a lot of criticism after his system change and a failed personnel selection in Leverkusen.
“We will prepare for Rome to show a reaction,” announced the 50-year-old. It is expected that Joshua Kimmich will play from the start this time after his shoulder injury. Thomas Müller is also a candidate to revive the sluggish offensive game.
“You have to be there in the knockout phase,” said former international Thomas Linke, who commented on the training session on the club’s own Bayern TV, which was only initially visible to the media. The 2001 Champions League winner sees his former club as the “clear favorite” to reach the quarter-finals against the eighth-placed team in the Italian Serie A: “Lazio is not playing at the limit this year.” The 54-year-old left also expects a reaction from the Munich stars to the desolate Leverkusen performance. “That was always the strength, that Bayern shows a different face after less successful games.”
The expected lineups:
Lazio Rom: Provedel – Marusic, Casale, Romagnoli, Hysaj – Cataldi – Guendouzi, Vecino – Felipe Anderson, Immobile, Pedro
Bayern Munich: Neuer – Mazraoui, Upamecano, Kim, Guerreiro – Kimmich, Goretzka – Sané, Müller, Musiala – Kane
