Champions League: Bayern Munich vs Lazio Round of 16 second leg betting preview

Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich are very much in the hot seat heading into the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday against Lazio, having lost 1-0 in the return tie last month in Rome. The kick-off for this clash is scheduled for 3 PM ET at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Bayern is in very poor shape at the moment and just settled for a 2-2 draw with Freiburg on Friday, putting them even further behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen. As for Lazio, they’re not enjoying a great domestic campaign, losing this past weekend 1-0 to rivals AC Milan. Below, we’ll preview the game and discuss any injury concerns for both sides.

Bayern

The past few weeks have been extremely difficult for the German standouts. Thomas Tuchel was told he would be dismissed at the end of the season, which means the players have to continue to play for a manager who will no longer be in charge. Odd, to say the least. The Bavarians are 10 points behind first-place Leverkusen and will likely be dethroned for the first time since 2011-12 when Borussia Dortmund won it.

Munich had a plethora of chances in their 2-2 draw against Freiburg and took a 2-1 lead in the 75th minute when Jamal Musiala found the back of the net but just 12 minutes later, the hosts equalized to snatch a point in a game that Bayern should’ve easily won. Tuchel’s men have now lost three of their last five outings while collecting just one victory during that span against RB Leipzig courtesy of a Harry Kane stoppage-time winner.

The first leg vs Lazio was truly a nightmare for Bayern. They had 17 shots but none found the target despite enjoying 61% of the possession. Defender Dayot Upamecano was then handed a straight red in the 68th minute for a foul in the box and just moments later, Ciro Immobile scored from the spot. The Bundesliga champs are a massive -455 favorite at BetVictor but they need to do more than just win by a goal since the deficit is 1-0 right now on aggregate.

Lazio

Lazio is not playing well in Italy, sitting in ninth in the Serie A table. European football is probably not going to happen next season, but The Eagles will be looking to take advantage of the current opportunity at hand: Eliminating a powerhouse like Bayern. Maurizio Sarri’s men held their own in the first leg in Rome and managed to muster up some chances.

The breakthrough came late in the second half when Immobile beat Manuel Neuer with a PK, which ultimately gave Lazio the upper hand ahead of their visit to Munich on Tuesday. The club’s form isn’t exactly consistent though, tasting defeat in three of their previous four matches since besting Bayern on February 14th.

While it won’t affect their availability for the Champions League, Matteo Guendouzi, Luca Pelligrini, and Adam Marusic were all sent off vs Milan. That will be a blow to Lazio’s Serie A aspirations, however. The White and Sky Blues are a clear underdog at every single site for soccer betting for Tuesday’s encounter. 

Injury news

Upamecano is suspended for his red in the return tie, but Matthijs de Ligt is set to return for Bayern. There’s a laundry list of other injuries though, including Kingsley Coman, Bouna Sarr, and Noussair Mazraoui. Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry could be healthy enough to play. Nicolo Rovella and Patric are the only absences for Lazio.