Despite only picking up a point against Sturm Graz, Maurizio Sarri was satisfied with what he saw from his Lazio squad.
Neither side could break the deadlock at the Merkur Arena, with the home side looking better on the night compared to the Biancocelesti. A strong defensive performance from Alessio Romagnoli, Mario Gila and Ivan Provedel ensured that Lazio at least had something to show after a tense match against Sturm Graz.
Speaking to gathered reporters in a press conference (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Sarri first commented on the goalless draw between Sturm Graz and Lazio.
A European cup match, high intensity and aggression. We partly suffered, partly we put our own spin on it. We can’t make so many technical mistakes, partly because of the ground, too many balls lost in a trivial way.
We did not do well, there are positive aspects, a team that loses so many balls puts the defence in difficulty. We could have taken more advantage of their drop. We could have lost by not expressing our best.
The Italian coach did not think that his squad had a mentality issue in the match.
I saw technical errors, some even trivial. If it had been a mentality problem we wouldn’t have remained solid, we would’ve lost.
He touched on if this is the kind of game that Lazio would’ve lost last season.
One of the positive aspects was defensive solidity, even Gila played a very high level match. So many positive aspects, when you play like that often the night you play dirty, you can technically come out ahead.
Mentally the game was not underestimated, the guys on the pitch were there, then you can play well or badly. But we were there.
He commented on the condition of Gila and Romagnoli after the match.
Gila I think has contracture because of the pain he felt. Romagnoli had a gastrointestinal ailment at the end of the match.
Sarri spoke about if the team are less fluid when playing in Europe.
I don’t have an explanation, we had the best 60 minutes against Feyenoord this season, against such aggressive matches we lost fluidity.
The match in Denmark I don’t even consider, this one did, we just lost too many balls.
He commented on the atmosphere at the Merkur Arena.
Sturm have been playing like this lately, with this formation. High intensity. The atmosphere was good, but I spent three years in Napoli, it’s not that I’m impressed.
The 63-year-old Italian coach didn’t think that Lazio had an issue playing away from home.
I don’t think so. We, if we take away Midtjylland, lost our last away game in January. I wouldn’t say we suffer from the home factor, last year we started worse away, then the opposite.
I don’t think we are in great pain. It’s just that in Europe there are other factors, many play with a knife between their teeth. There is a greater intensity that is rarely seen in Italy.
The Italian league has a thousand faults, but there is no easy competition. Maybe the others in their respective leagues sometimes go off without a hitch.
Finally, Sarri discussed Lazio’s chances of finishing at the top of Group F. All four teams are now tied on four points after the first three games.
That remains to be seen, if they get three with Feyenoord I think so, but this is a group that could remain balanced until the end.