Lazio Must Cure Travel Bug to Deliver in Serie A and in Europe

Simone Inzaghi has made a habit of pointing out Inter Milan do not have starters and reserves, but a 25-man squad.

The implications are clear. With the Nerazzurri competing on three fronts, Inzaghi wants his players to seamlessly slot in and out of the team, as and when required.

Lazio manager Marco Baroni sang from the same hymn sheet last week, when he made the case for the depth of options at his disposal.

“I’m not a fan of the term ‘rotation’, he said ahead of Lazio’s trip to Florence.

“I think I have 20 players who can step in as starters. It’s impossible to play three games in a week with the same lineup.”

The quality of Baroni’s squad will be tested this week, as the former Verona manager makes his European debut when Lazio kick off their Europa League campaign against Dynamo Kyiv in Hamburg on Wednesday.

The 61-year-old replaced Igor Tudor in the summer after leading Verona to a 13th place finish in his solitary season in charge of the Scaligeri.

Baroni’s debut campaign in the Eternal City has been a mixed bag so far.

Lazio are eighth in the table with seven points in five games, four adrift of surprise league leaders Torino and two behind Juventus, who currently occupy fourth place.

Lazio’s defensive issues are a concern

But there is cause for concern for Baroni, whose team has been worryingly fragile defensively and away from home.

The Biancocelesti conceded 39 goals last season in Serie A, the fifth-best defensive record in the division at a rate of 1.02 goals per game. So far this term, they have conceded eight in five matches, at a rate of 1.6 goals per 90 minutes.

It is the second-worst defensive record in Serie A – only Parma have conceded more goals – and an unsustainable trend for a team with European football aspirations. 

Lazio’s malaise on the road is similarly concerning. While Venezia and Verona were dispatched at the Olimpico and AC Milan were held to a 2-2 draw, trips to Udine and Florence delivered two defeats. 

With a trip to Turin to face league leaders Torino coming three days after their Europa League excursion, it is hardly an ideal omen.

Admittedly the 2-1 defeat against Fiorentina came because of two penalties – the second of which deep in injury time – but Baroni conceded his team must step up away from home.

“The team needs to have the same attitude they’ve shown in their home games,” he said.

“Playing in front of your own fans is amazing, it gives you a huge lift. But our approach to the game needs to be the same, even when we’re away.”

A tricky draw awaits in Europe

Lazio have been handed a tricky Europa League draw, with Porto, Real Sociedad, Nice and Ludogorets visiting the Olimpico and trips to the Netherlands to face Ajax and Twente and Portugal to take on Braga.

Curing their travel bug is crucial for the Biancocelesti, starting with Wednesday’s trip to Germany. 

Dynamo made the 1,000-mile trip to Hamburg on the back of an impressive start to the season. 

Saturday’s 0-0 draw at home against Rukh Vynnyky – Dynamo play league matches in Ukraine but have to relocate abroad for international fixtures, due to the ongoing conflict with Russia – was the first time Oleksandr Shovkovskiy’s men dropped points this season after five wins in their opening five fixtures.

Just under five months ago Lazio headed to Munich after beating Bayern 1-0 at home in the first-leg of their Round of 16 tie in the Champions League.

The Laziali capitulated 3-0 at the Allianz Arena and within two weeks Maurizio Sarri was gone, to be replaced by Igor Tudor.

The Croat won his six of 11 games in charge but resigned at the end of the season, prompting Lazio to pivot to Baroni.

The latter was followed to Rome by Tijjani Noslin, signed from Verona for €8.9m (£7.4m) after impressing in his debut season in Serie A.

Room for financial largesse, however, has been limited. Lazio spent just over £30m on players, with £11m going on making Matteo Guendouzi’s loan move from Olympique Marseille permanent and £8m on signing Salernitana right winger Loum Tchaouna,

The Biancocelesti, meanwhile, bid farewell to Ciro Immobile, Felipe Anderson, and Luis Alberto, who accounted for 973 appearances and 317 goals combined.

That lack of experience could prove costly both at home and in Europe, as Lazio bid to emulate Atalanta’s success from last season.