Baroni: "I Have To Thank The Squad Because I Asked Them For A Strong Performance, And They Delivered. My Priority Is To Keep Improving And Preparing For The High-Stakes Matches Ahead."

Marco Baroni expressed gratitude to his Lazio players for adapting to unfamiliar roles to secure the top spot in the Europa League, but he refrained from discussing a potential last-16 matchup against AS Roma.

Lazio had already guaranteed their place in the round of 16 before the final group stage match. Despite suffering a 1-0 loss to SC Braga, they maintained their position at the top of the table from start to finish.

Ricardo Horta’s early strike, combined with a series of impressive saves by Lukas Hornicek, prevented Lazio from scoring. However, the Biancoceleste still finished first in the group, edging out Athletic Club Bilbao on goal difference.

"I have to thank the squad because I asked them for a strong performance, and they delivered. The players made sacrifices by taking on roles they were not accustomed to, and that was great to see," Baroni told Sky Sport Italia.

Lazio’s squad were stretched thin, with only two senior outfield players available on the bench. The crisis forced defender Mario Gila into an emergency midfield role against Braga.

"We struggled to score because our midfielders didn’t position themselves properly, and once again, we suffered from wide deliveries. We need to stop allowing crosses and passes from those areas. It’s frustrating—this shouldn’t become a recurring issue, but it’s something we must improve," Baroni added. 

Lazio will take on one of Porto, Viktoria Plzen, Roma, or Ferencváros in the next round of the competition. When asked about the upcoming draw, Baroni remained reserved in his response:

"There’s no point wasting energy thinking about it now. Our goal is to go all the way, and we know the competition features top-level teams where mistakes can be costly. For now, we’ll focus on intensive training in the coming weeks, which will be crucial for us. We also need to recover key players who have been sidelined for a while—their return will help us raise our level."

"A possible derby? I don’t know what answer you’re expecting. In a tournament like this, you always face strong opponents. We’ve earned the right to wait and see who we’ll play. My priority is to keep improving and preparing for the high-stakes matches ahead."