The key to clubs competing in their respective domestic competitions and UEFA Champions League is depth. Rotating squads to keep players fresh and not overworking them is critical to win trophies at home and make a potential deep run in Europe.
Plenty of clubs have a “B squad,” a rotated starting eleven for a league or domestic cup fixtures. Nonetheless, for the top clubs looking to make the Champions League knockout stages, it’s enough for them to pick up wins as they either rest players before or after a significant fixture.
One of the criticisms Lazio had this 2020-21 is how they’ve handled balancing Champions League and domestic competitions. Italian football pundit Matteo Marani spoke about this matter during his appearance on Sky Sports (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), stating that Lazio has no alternate squad to rely on as they balanced both competitions.
There is no Lazio B; Inzaghi’s alternatives have not proved to be up to par.
They went on a winning streak only when the Champions League was stopped.
Match against Torino? Perhaps for Lazio, it is better if they postpone it so they can recover some energy.
Lazio isn’t in a Champions League spot, but should they fight their way into one, this season is a learning experience. Better squad depth will be needed heading forward to avoid falling behind in the league standings due to fatigue and tired legs as a result of mid-week Champions League fixtures.