2 days ago
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Maurizio Sarri has admitted that the Lazio team and fans were fired up to try and get back at AC Milan following their defeat at San Siro.
Mattia Zaccagni scored the only goal of the game at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday night as Lazio beat Milan to reach the Coppa Italia quarter-finals. It came just a few days after their controversial 1-0 defeat in Serie A, meaning they got some immediate revenge.
Not long after Rafael Leao had spurned a big chance, Zaccagni was allowed a free header from a Nuno Tavares corner at the near post to net the decisive goal. In the quarter-finals they will face holders Bologna, while the Rossoneri’s cup curse continues.
‘A ferocious noise’
Sarri spoke to Mediaset after the game to offer his thoughts on how the match went, and he admitted there was some added motivation after the VAR drama towards the end of the game at the weekend. His words are via FootballItalia.
“These are situations I enjoy, with so many difficulties and injuries since July, but the team is eager to work, so I enjoy myself during the week.
“Naturally, I get angry during the match, because we make some errors technically and aren’t at the same level of other squads, but the training part I really relish.
“We were pleased that over 40,000 people came to the Stadio Olimpico and made a ferocious noise. It was pleasing for the lads, because they were mortified at the end of the last home game, even humiliated. They needed this.
“This was a knockout competition, we go forward and don’t even have time to enjoy it too much, as this weekend we have another extremely difficult match.
“If we reach the end of the season and feel we have seven or eight players we can rely on, bringing in three or four to bolster the group, that’ll be a success. If we are able to build the foundations, that will already be something important for this club. We hope to keep this process up.”
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