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Bayern Munich: Three things to watch for in home leg against Lazio

By Daniel Garza

ROME, ITALY - FEBRUARY 23: Leroy Sane of FC Bayern Muenchen battles for possession with Gonzalo Escalante of S.S. Lazio during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match between Lazio Roma and Bayern München at Olimpico Stadium on February 23, 2021 in Rome, Italy. Sporting stadiums around Italy remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
ROME, ITALY - FEBRUARY 23: Leroy Sane of FC Bayern Muenchen battles for possession with Gonzalo Escalante of S.S. Lazio during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match between Lazio Roma and Bayern München at Olimpico Stadium on February 23, 2021 in Rome, Italy. Sporting stadiums around Italy remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) /
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Bayern Munich is just one match away from reaching the quarterfinals of the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League. After a resounding 4-1 win over Lazio in the first leg, Bayern will host the Serie A club at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday for the second leg.

Die Roten is heavily favored to advance. The four away goals Bayern recorded in the opening leg present Lazio with the difficult task of trying to overcome this deficit on the road. Here are three things to watch for ahead of Wednesday’s fixture.

The opening 30 minutes will be key

In the first leg, Bayern scored two goals in the opening 30 minutes of the match. This set the tone for the remainder of the 90 minutes as Lazio struggled to contain Bayern’s potent attack. On Wednesday, early goals by Bayern would certainly end any hope Lazio has of mounting a comeback.

Defensively, Lazio has struggled since facing Bayern in the opening leg. They have conceded two goals or more in all of their last three Serie A fixtures and two of these matches have ended in defeats. With Bayern recording three goals or more in their last three matches, it could be a long night for Lazio if the hosts are able to continue their strong goal-scoring form.

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Will Sane continue to score in the UCL?

Leroy Sane has done well for Bayern in the Champions League with three goals in five appearances. He scored against Lazio in the first leg and caused an own goal for Bayern’s fourth goal of the match. The 25-year-old should be in the starting 11 on Wednesday after making a brief appearance over the weekend against Werder Bremen.

Sane’s speed could cause more trouble for Lazio as they struggled to match his pace in their first meeting. If he has a similar performance to what he displayed in the first leg, then Bayern is going to have plenty of scoring opportunities.

Can Lewandowski close the gap to Haaland?

Robert Lewandowski has some work to do if he wants to be the Champions League top goal scorer for the 2020/21 season. Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Braut Haaland has a commanding lead over the rest of the field in the race for the Golden Boot.

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The Dortmund striker has scored 10 goals in six appearances while Lewandowski has scored four in five appearances. A multi-goal performance from Lewandowski could see the Polish striker climb up the standings to within a reasonable distance to Haaland.