Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri found the positives after the team’s 1-0 Coppa Italia quarter-final loss to Juventus.
The Biancocelesti looked the better of the two sides at the Allianz Stadium on a chilly Turin evening, but were unable to breakthrough the Bianconeri’s defence, allowing them to see out a tight 1-0 win.
Gleison Bremer proved the difference maker just before half time, when his headed effort easily flicked past an out-of-position Luis Maximiano, who did little to dispel any doubts about his role as a backup goalkeeper.
Speaking to Sport Mediaset (via TMW) after the match, Sarri first reacted to Lazio’s 1-0 defeat to Juventus, finding the silver lining.
I’m disappointed with the result, not with the performance. We conceded very little and we lacked something in the final third. The match was under control, the only counter attacks came in the last quarter of an hour.
We played a good, orderly game, but we lacked in the final third. We lacked in filling the penalty area, in creativity in the last few metres, in attempts to get past the opponent.
They were waiting for us deep and we couldn’t go into space. The team, however, held the pitch very well. We are disappointed to go out, but we are not disappointed with the performance.
He touched on the team’s fatigue following the first month after the World Cup break.
Unfortunately, Immobile’s injury has put us in the situation that these guys have had to play so many games since 6th January and it’s us playing so often sees us lose something, lose brilliance.
Ciro’s return should make it easier for us from this point of view.
The 63-year-old Italian coach explained why star midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic did not start against Juventus, a club he’s been heavily linked to for years now.
Because he had played 98 or 99 minute games in the last five or six and so it was right to have him only play a part.
Now we are talking on Mediaset and the important thing is the Coppa Italia, but then there are other situations that we cannot underestimate.
He is a guy who is playing all the time, even in the national team. Halfway through the season he already has 3000 minutes on the pitch, if one time instead of 90 minutes he plays 30-40 it can be healthy.
Finally, Sarri discussed the state of Lazio and Juventus after the mid-season World Cup in Qatar.
The reactions to the World Cup are very individual and conditioned by what happened during the tournament.
I’ve seen Vecino come out not very well, also mentally, a little better Sergej, but now they seem to me two recovered players. These are subjective situations, it’s very difficult to say.
