Baroni: "The Players Are Not As Sharp As They Should Be. They Will Have A Brief Christmas Break, And It’s Crucial They Use This Time To Recharge."

Lazio coach Marco Baroni acknowledged that his team was fatigued and in need of a break after enduring a demanding schedule at the end of the year. Despite the challenges, Lazio secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Lecce in a Serie A match on Saturday (21/12) evening local time. 

The Biancoceleste's goals came from a penalty by Valentin Castellanos and a late strike by substitute Adam Marušić in the 87th minute. Even with a numerical advantage after Lecce had a player sent off, Lazio struggled to capitalize and maintain control of the match. 

"The players are not as sharp as they should be. They will have a brief Christmas break, and it’s crucial they use this time to recharge," Baroni told Sky Sport Italia. "I adjusted the wingers because Lecce’s defense was compact, forcing us to attack from the flanks."

When asked whether he would also take a break or begin preparations for their next match against Atalanta on December 28, Baroni responded, "I’ll spend time with my family and grandchildren. I need to recover too. It’s a packed schedule, and players like Castellanos and Dia feel the strain of long international trips more than others."

The match ended dramatically, as Lazio played the final minutes with 10 men after Tijjani Noslin was visibly distressed and required assistance off the pitch following the final whistle. Earlier, Lecce’s Guilbert had been sent off, leaving both sides to finish with depleted squads.

"Romagnoli had just returned from injury, and Noslin was barely able to move in the final moments. We dropped too deep, and anxiety started to creep in. We were fortunate Rebic’s last cross didn’t cause more damage," Baroni concluded.