Bayern Munich have not rested on their laurels since they won the Champions League back in August. Currently sitting seven points clear in the Bundesliga with over half the season played, it’s looking very likely that Hans-Dieter Flick’s men are on course for a ninth successive league title, which would be a phenomenal achievement and would set up the chance for the club to make it a perfect 10.
But domestic success has basically been a given for Bayern over the last decade or so, with the real test coming in the form of the Champions League. They earned their sixth European crown last year by beating Paris Saint-Germain in the final in Lisbon, although most football fans will recognise that for all their dominance in the Bundesliga over the last 10 years or so, they should’ve notched a couple more Champions League titles.
That’s why it’s important that Bayern take advantage of this period where they are at the absolute top of their game. After a turbulent time under Niko Kovač, Flick has brought the good times back to the Allianz Arena, and it would be no surprise if plenty more trophies come hurtling Bayern’s way by the end of the season.
One of these could well be the Champions League, and they’ve been handed a favourable draw in the form of Italian side Lazio, who are taking part in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time in 21 years. Bayern are the favourites in the UEFA 2021 Champions League betting to win the entire competition, so it’s no surprise that Bayern are fancied to overcome Lazio easily. But the worst thing Flick’s side could do would be to treat Lazio lightly and end up with egg on their face.
After all, the Italian club will be in a confident mood after qualifying from their group, which contained Borussia Dortmund, Zenit St Petersburg and Club Brugge, and they will know that the pressure is solely on their opponents. There is scope for Simone Inzaghi’s side to go and enjoy themselves across the two ties, and if they can produce the kind of football that brought them through the group stage, then they could potentially spring a surprise.
Lazio are locked in a tight battle in Serie A for the Champions League spots, with I Biancocelesti currently sitting in fifth, just behind city rivals Roma on goal difference. It’s clear that they are a team with focused minds as they scrap it out in the Italian league, and Bayern must be wary of complacency in what looked at first like a very favourable draw.
Of course, the quality Bayern boast within their ranks mean it’s hard to see them failing to progress to the quarter-finals. They’ll be looking to avoid a similar fate of Liverpool, who last season crashed out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage while they were defending champions. On paper it’s a relatively straight-forward tie, but if Bayern’s mentality is not in the right place after their travails at the FIFA Club World Cup, then we all know the shocks this famous tournament can throw up in its knockout stages.
