Bayern Munich have won 16 of their past 17 Champions League games
Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick says his side must return to top form when they visit Lazio in the Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday.
Bayern have won six titles in the past nine months but have dropped points in both Bundesliga games in the past week since winning the Club World Cup.
Corentin Tolisso, who is injured, and Thomas Muller, isolating with Covid-19, will be among those missing in Rome.
"I will not be using any excuses," said Flick about the players he is without.
"I am positive. It is a special game and I expect that the team is especially motivated."
A 3-3 draw at home to Arminia Bielefeld and 2-1 defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt has seen the European champions' lead cut from seven points to two in the Bundesliga.
"We know what has happened in the past days," added Flick. "Against Lazio I want us to be there as a team from the start.
"We have an idea of how we want to play and we have to do that from the start.
"When the Champions League starts we have to be in top form. But looking at the past weeks there have been a lot of matches, a lot of strain on the team and some players missing."
This will be the first time Lazio and Bayern Munich have met in a competitive encounter, although the Italians have lost just one of their six games against German opposition.
MATCH FACTS
Lazio
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Lazio are in the knockout phase of the Champions League for the first time in 21 years (1999-00), the longest ever gap between two appearances for the same club in the latter stages of the competition.
Lazio won only two of their six group games this season, the joint-lowest tally among teams qualified for the round of 16 (alongside Atletico Madrid and Borussia Monchengladbach).
Lazio have scored and conceded at least one goal in each of their past 12 Champions League games, a first for a club in the history of the tournament
Lazio's Ciro Immobile has scored eight goals in his nine Champions League starts, while each of his last three goals in the competition have come from the penalty spot. His five goals this season is the best return for an Italian player in a campaign since Alessandro Del Piero in 2008/09 (also five).
20% of all Champions League goals scored by Lazio players have come from current manager Simone Inzaghi (15 out of 75). He was also their top scorer the last time Lazio reached the knockout stages of the competition (nine goals in 1999/00).
Bayern Munich
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Bayern Munich are unbeaten in their last five Champions League away games against Italian opposition (W3 D2).
Bayern Munich have reached the knockout stages for the 13th consecutive season, only Real Madrid (24) and Barcelona (17) are on a longer current run. They've progressed to the quarter-finals in 10 of those 12 previous campaigns.
Since last season, Bayern have won 16 of their 17 Champions League games (drawing one), with an overall goal difference of +48 (61 goals for, 13 against).
The defending champions have only failed to score once in their last 27 Champions League matches (0-0 v Liverpool at Anfield, February 2019) while Lazio have not kept a clean sheet in their past 17 games in the competition, last doing so more than 17 years ago, in September 2003 at Besiktas (2-0).
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has scored 31 goals in 33 Champions League games since the start of the 2017-18 season, more than any other player over that period (Cristiano Ronaldo, 29 goals in 34 games).
Source: bbc.com