Lazio's Sarri Praises Team's Grit in Dramatic Draw Against Atletico

 Lazio's Sarri Praises Team's Grit in Dramatic Draw Against Atletico

Lazio's Sarri Praises Team's Grit in Dramatic Draw Against Atletico(Image-Getty)

Lazio's manager, Maurizio Sarri, expressed his belief that his team fully deserved the point they earned in a dramatic 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid in their Champions League opener at home on Tuesday. The match saw goalkeeper Ivan Provedel score a stoppage-time equalizer to secure the crucial point for Lazio.

Sarri was quick to highlight that Lazio's halftime deficit didn't accurately reflect the game's dynamics, saying, "Trailing at halftime considering the way the two teams had played their football was not fair, and we risked feeling like victims of bad luck, of surrendering to the circumstances." He praised his team's resilience, stating that they rightfully received the reward they deserved.

Despite a challenging start to their domestic season, with only one win in their first four Serie A games, leaving them in 15th place, Sarri remained optimistic. He emphasized the tough opponents they've faced recently, including Napoli, Juventus, and Atletico Madrid, where they secured a win, suffered a defeat, and earned a draw, respectively. Sarri acknowledged Atletico Madrid's strength on the counter-attack but highlighted their effective defensive efforts throughout most of the game.

In the broader context of the group, Feyenoord took the top spot in Group E with a 2-0 victory over Celtic on the same day. Sarri recognized the significance of the point earned against the group favorites, saying, "A point can be important for us because we got it against the favorites of this group."

In a pleasantly surprising turn of events, Sarri admitted he hadn't expected Provedel, the goalkeeper, to score the last-minute equalizer. He couldn't help but smile as he commented, "We found a solution eventually!"

Looking ahead, Lazio's next Champions League challenge will take them to Celtic on October 4.