World Soccer - UK (2020-12)

The coach of the White and Sky Blues,
Simone Inzaghi, certainly knows how to
make a Champions League splash. Back
in March 2000, Inzaghi, then leading
the line for Lazio, pulled off a feat for
the ages, netting four goals in a 5-1
thrashing of Marseille. One of only14
players to have scored four or more goals
in one game, Inzaghi remains to this day,
the sole Italian to have “quadrupled”.
Some two decades later, the 44-year-
old now has a chance to make more
Lazio history as theBiancocelestilook
to make hay in their first Champions
League proper since 2007-08.
In the club’s entire history, they have
only twice reached the last16 of UEFA’s
top tournament (in1999-2000 and
2000-01). But let’s not write them off
because of a lack of pedigree. Inzaghi is
an excellent man-manager and tactician,
they have one of Europe’s most prolific
strikers in Ciro Immobile – who last term
hit a record-equalling 36 Serie A goals

• and as they comprehensively proved

Little wonder, Gladbach supporters
swear by coach Marco Rose. Last
season, his first in charge of the Foals,
the 44-year-old barely made a bad call,
steering them to an excellent fourth-
place in the Bundesliga – their best
classification since 2014-15. Roses were
blooming all over at Borussia Park in
2019-20. Twenty wins out of 34
top-flight fixtures, bags of dynamic
attacking football and, as the cherry
on the cake, the club’s first Champions
League in four years. Gladbach have
only participated in two previous
campaigns at this level, but with the
inspirational Rose at the helm they will
be a tough nut to crack. Rose, for one,
has no intention of resting on his laurels:
“We’ve set the bar high. Now we want
to take the next step. There’s plenty
of room for further gains.”
The bad news concerns their injury
list. New Austrian right-sided midfielder
Valentino Lazaro – brought in on loan
from Internazionale – could miss the

BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH

Germany’ssleepinggiantsontherise

LAZIO

Inzaghi continues to inspire Romans

early Champions League dates with

a calf complaint, while Swiss engine-

room powerhouse Denis Zakaria may

be a little rusty after a long knee

rehabilitation process.

How would you define Marco

Rose’s modus operandi?

First and foremost, his is a style of

play which is not for the faint-hearted,

based on intense activity when out

of possession, a high press, sprints

galore and a permanent quest to get

around the back of a defence. They

have a cultured side too, looking to

keep the ball on the ground with

short, snappy passing combinations.

Keeping a compact shape is vital to

his footballing philosophy as well.

What is Rose’s biggest headache?

Clearly his abundance of attacking

talent. With the likes of Alassane Plea,

Marcus Thuram, Lars Stindl, Breel

Embolo, Patrick Herrmann andJonas

Hofmann at his disposal, he is spoilt

for choice. Rose cannot possibly fit

them all into his starting line-up.

One or two have to be left out. The

common denominator of this group

of forwards? Their versatility.

last term, they are nobody’s pushovers.

Don’t be fooled by their fourth-place

finish. For much of the season, they

were very much in contention for

the title, going 21 games undefeated,

beatingJuventus at the Stadio Olimpico

in December (3-1) and winning their

first league game at Milan in 30 years.

Rising star...

Nehaus

Hot-shot...

Immobile

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE2020-21

Targetting the last 16

COACH

Marco Rose

There’s a lot of Jurgen

Klopp in the ex-RB

Salzburg boss. The

same killer instinct,

huge enthusiasm and

motivational powers.

Played under Klopp at

Mainzforsevenyears.

KEYMAN

Matthias Ginter

UnassumingGermany

centre-back, who is

arguably the best

in his position in

the Bundesliga.

YOUNGSTER

TO WATCH

Florian Neuhaus

Intelligent central

midfielder, 23, and

one of the new faces

in Joachim Low’s

Germany squad.

COACH

Simone Inzaghi

Spent the majority of

his playing career at

Lazio, six seasons as

youth-team coach,

and first-team boss

since 2016. Younger

brother of Filippo

Inzaghi, the ex-Milan

and Italy striker.

KEYMAN

Ciro Immobile

Serie A top scorer in

2013-14 with Torino,

andin2017-18and

2019-20 with Lazio.

Also won last term’s

European Golden

Shoe. Clinical No.9.

YOUNGSTER

TO WATCH

Luiz Felipe

Watchful Brazilian

central defender.

Plucked from the

obscurity of Brazil’s

fourth tier in 2016.

What makes Simone Inzaghi

stand out as a coach?

Undoubtedly his positive outlook,

unbridled passion and success in

fostering a “band of brothers” mentality

within his squad. Rather than assembling

a football team, he has created a family,

made up of people instead of sportsmen.

That’s a rare achievement. His love of the

Lazio colours is there for all to see. This

commitment to the cause clearly brings

the best out of his players, most of whom

have improved greatly on his watch.

In attacking mode, how do Lazio

set out to hurt the opposition?

Principally, they aim to get their best

technical players – creative midfielders

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Luis Alberto and

second strikerJoaquin Correa – on the

ball as much as possible. This trio are in

their element in one-on-one situations

and once in the clear, look, more often

than not, to release main striker Immobile

into space behind the defence.