Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi has expressed his delight after his team were able to register 1-0 win over CFR Cluj in the Europa League group stage. The Serie A side have endured a dismal campaign in the European competition but they managed to register a victory against the Romanian outfit to keep them in contention for the knockouts.
Speaking in a press conference, Inzaghi acknowledged that his players had a tough battle on their hands with Cluj and he is pleased that they came up with the maximum points. He added to pose regret for the performances in the past few European games and stated that his team need to find ways to close out matches.
“We suffered a bit but we knew that Cluj is a good team and very physical. Now I believe a bit more in the away leg, but I still have a bitter taste in my mouth for how we played in the last matches. We had a great first half and risked little in the second. I am satisfied. We need to try and score more goals for the presentations we put on the pitch. I have Caicedo, Immobile, Correa and wingers with goals in their legs. We need to close out matches first,” he told.
Despite the result, Lazio are still in the third spot on the table but they are three points adrift of second-placed Cluj. However, they have the chance to cement the second spot on the final matchday, provided they are able to beat Rennes on the road while Celtic manage to get the better of Cluj at Parkhead.
In this case, they would be tied on the same number of points as Cluj but they would progress on the head-to-head record, considering they managed to score an away goal during the meetings between them.