Sarri insists: “Lazio has no obligation to go to the Champions League”. And about Luis Alberto…

From our correspondent Stefano Cieri

February 10th
– Formello

“Guardiola is right. Playing against Atalanta is like going to the dentist.” Maurizio Sarri avoids preambles and goes straight to the essence of the challenge that awaits his Lazio tomorrow night at the Olimpico. Gasperini’s Atalanta arrives, an insidious and difficult opponent to face. Not only. It will also be a direct clash with another pretender to the Champions area. Lazio arrives with a point advantage over the Bergamo players.

“It means that the two teams are equal – the coach points out -. The fact that it’s a direct clash must give us great reasons: it’s a risk, but also a great opportunity.” The destinies of Lazio and Atalanta have often crossed paths in recent seasons. Both in the league, where the Nerazzurri managed to precede the Biancocelesti on several occasions and in the Italian Cup, which in 2019 Lazio won in the final against Atalanta. “There is a difference between the two clubs – specifies Sarri -. They made the Champions League for three years in a row and this has allowed them to raise the investment bar. Before they bought players worth 7-8 million, now they can afford players from 20-25 million”. In the first leg, in Bergamo, Lazio prevailed 2-0 at the end of one of the best matches played with Sarri on the bench. “But if we take that match as a point of reference, we’re off track – warns the coach -. They played a very normal match, we played a good match. If Atalanta loses physically, they become a normal team, but when they are physically fit, they are very strong. also because it also has a lot of quality. It will be a tough match for us. We will have to face it realizing the importance of the moment. We are now applying it continuously, except in some moments. But these moments are becoming shorter and shorter, but we must get them off us.”

CHAMPIONS

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At stake is a qualification in the Champions League which is within reach, even if Sarri continues to underline that it is a dream. “Believable goals are one thing, dreams are another, which are less credible, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t feasible. Lazio aren’t among the top four in terms of turnover and salaries, so they have no responsibility to go to the Champions League “. But that doesn’t mean he won’t try: “The team is hungry and hungry, you can tell by how he applies himself every day in training. The group is sure he’s doing well, then we’ll see what result all this turns into.” In any case, the coach is convinced that his training is growing: “Compared to last year, the situation has improved from all points of view. There’s only a little frustration because it seems you’re always on point to make the definitive leap in quality, but then it never comes. There are still margins for further growth, we have to go and look for them starting from the match against Atalanta”.

LUIS ALBERT

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One aspect to improve is certainly that of offensive production, which this year is lower than in previous years: “We have a problem – again Sarri -. shots taken is very high. This means that we only go to the conclusion when there is a very dangerous situation. Instead we have to look for the opponent’s goal more frequently”. A few more goals should also come from set pieces: “Yes – admits Sarri – also because I’m used to having teams that score a lot from set pieces. We can do better: we have centimeters and we also have players who start the ball well”. Another problem to solve is that of the approach to the second half (so many goals conceded after the break): “We’ve talked too much about it, it’s time to stop, otherwise we risk triggering a perverse mechanism”. And speaking of the statements made yesterday by Luis Alberto Sarri, he comments as follows: “Luis is a joker (actually he uses a more colorful expression, ed), he enjoys going against the tide. I can only say that 50% of the videos I make see, the team itself asks me for them”. The Spanish footballer, half-jokingly, had confessed that sometimes during the projection of the videos he drops his eye.