Five days ahead of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg with Bayern, Lazio have given their self-confidence another boost. At the start of Matchday 27 in Serie A, the team from the Italian capital defeated Crotone 3-2 (2-1) at the Stadio Olimpico on Friday afternoon and reduced the gap to the European spots for the moment.
Fight to qualify for the Champions League again
Felipe Caicedo makes it 3-2 in the 84th minute to seal the win.
However, Simone Inzaghi's team struggled for a long time against the bottom side. Sergej Milinković-Savić put the home side ahead in the 14th minute and Luis Alberto added a second six minutes from the break, but the visitors were able to equalise through a strike from Simy in the 29th minute, and he added a second with a penalty five minutes after the restart. It was only in the final stages that Felipe Caicedo (84th) made sure of the three points with the winning goal.
"This win gives us momentum," said Inzaghi after the game, with one eye on the battle for the Champions League places. Local rivals Roma, who play at Parma on Sunday, are only four points ahead in fourth spot, the minimum requirement to qualify for Europe's premier club competition. In addition, the White and Sky Blues have a game in hand (against Torino).
Ahead ofthe Champions League second leg, however, Bayern have the small matter of an away game at Bremen. Check out our preview for everything you need to know about the match:
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