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Maurizio Sarri has lashed out at his critics from a defiant stance ahead of Champions League action, as he pinpoints where things have gone for Celtic.
The Italian side broke Celtic’s hearts on matchday two by causing a last-gasp 2-1 defeat at the Hoops with Pedro’s header in the most reasonable time. They suffered defeat at the Premiership champions’ last stop at Roma, in 2019 in the Europa League under Neil Lennon, and will be keen to repeat the feat. They are at the moment in the organization and may be the most sensible in the table with a win on Tuesday, but they will go into the game in asymmetrical domestic form.
A 2-1 defeat to Salernitana at the weekend has left Lazio 11th. Celtic don’t head to the Eternal City in a great mood either after a 1-1 home draw against Motherwell, and they’re bottom of Group E with victory needed to keep post-Christmas European football hopes alive. Speaking ahead of the match, Sarri says the Hoops being reduced to 10 men in both away defeats at Feyenoord and Atletico Madrid is a major factor on how Brendan Rodgers’ side have fared, and he expects a tough clash. He said: “Celtic are a good team, they have good rhythm, decent technical qualities. They are not an easy team to beat.
“We shouldn’t have any illusions about the negative effects away from home because they were games conditioned by numerical inferiority. They’re a smart team and it’s going to be a tough game. Now we’re getting ready for The Game. Yesterday I said what I had to say. Now it’s time to regroup, with the wonderful hope that the atmosphere that exists will be that of the Champions League and give us something more.
Sarri addressed his own team’s problems, but gave an emotional answer to a question about predictability. He responded to complaints about his gambling: “Predictability issues?These are clichés that don’t make sense. Barcelona won for 10 years betting the same way. These are bar conversations that I’m not interested in at all.
“This year’s withdrawal is at a smart point in every way. After the withdrawal, everything was replaced. The environment of a fair point. We want to reboot. There are no old or new guards anymore. These are the available players, we decide which ones are the most productive without any challenge. There’s no point in talking about tactics if that’s the attitude. Tactics: This is useful if you’re betting on the same spot as your opponents. If you’re not there, there’s “No tactic that works. It’s hard to pinpoint the real motive, but if the coach changes and the players replace and the challenge persists, the motive could be environmental. “