Champions League: Lazio vs Bayern Munich leg 1 betting preview

After a couple of months since the conclusion of the Champions League group stages, Europe’s most prized competition is back with the Round of 16. While there are several other intriguing ties, Wednesday brings a tantalizing affair between Serie A outfit Lazio and Bundesliga giants Bayern. The kick-off for this first leg is scheduled for 3 PM ET at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The hosts are coming off a convincing win in domestic action over the weekend over Cagliari, while Munich just lost 3-0 to league leaders Bayer Leverkusen. They will be motivated to bounce back and secure a positive result on Wednesday.

Head-to-head history

This isn’t the first time these two sides have locked horns in the Round of 16 stage of the Champions League, having met in 2020-21 where Bayern ran out as 6-2 winners on aggregate. That was their only two meetings in history though and both clubs have seen some change since then.

Lazio

Yes, Lazio is in the Champions League Round of 16 for the first time in three years, but they’re not having the greatest campaign over in Italy. Maurizio Sarri’s men are sitting in eighth spot at the moment and five points off fourth place Atalanta for the final UCL berth. Lazio has compiled an 11-4-8 record, scoring 28 times in 23 outings while conceding 24 goals.

When it comes to the UCL, The Eagles were second in Group E behind Atletico Madrid, finishing with a 3-1-2 record. They beat Celtic twice and Feyenoord while also losing to the Dutch giants and Atleti and settling for a draw with Madrid, too. Talisman and Italy international Ciro Immobile netted three times in group play but has actually struggled to produce the goods in Serie A, bagging a mere six goals. 

Health-wise, Lazio isn’t dealing with any major issues. Patric still has a shoulder injury, while Mattia Zaccagni could return from injury here. Immobile will be the main up top despite his domestic struggles. He tends to perform under the bright lights of the Champions League though, so he will be relied upon. Lazio is a big +400 underdog on Wednesday at 888sport.

Bayern

The Bavarians have enjoyed a ton of success in the Champions League over the years, winning the competition six times throughout their history. Their most recent title came in 2020 as part of the treble. They’ve also made the quarterfinals in each and every season since then. This term, Thomas Tuchel’s squad finished atop Group A, going 5-1-0 against the likes of Galatasaray, Copenhagen, and Manchester United.

In the Bundesliga, Bayern is surprisingly in second though behind high-flying Leverkusen, who are absolutely firing on all cylinders and just handed the reigning German champions a stiff defeat at the weekend. The Bavarians are rarely kept goalless, especially with Harry Kane in form. But, that’s exactly what happened. 

Regardless, Kane had adjusted perfectly to life in a new league. He’s scored 24 goals in 21 league appearances while also hitting the net four times and supplying three assists in the UCL. The Englishman is finally getting his chance to shine on the big stage and he’s taking advantage. Looking at Wednesday, there are some injury concerns for Tuchel. Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, Alphonso Davies, and Konrad Laimer are all unavailable. Bayern will need to make do without them as they look to take an advantage into the second leg in Munich next month. The visitors are a clear favorite in the opening tie at all soccer betting sites.