Klose: Why I back Lazio over Bayern Munich

Miroslav Klose admits he's more a fan of Lazio than Bayern Munich.

The former Germany striker's two former teams are set to meet again in the Champions League round of 16.

Klose explained supporting Lazio ahead of Bayern to Ran.de: "Mainly because I was one year more at Lazio than at Bayern. Now I often go to Rome and I have many friends there. In these five years my family and I have become very fond of the city and the club for everything we have been able to experience together.

"Furthermore, they are more for the outsiders. Bayern was and continues to be the clear favourite."

Ahead of the second-leg, Klose said: "Lazio have a psychological advantage. To be honest, it must also be admitted that some Bayern players have not played at their true level lately. They also have a lot of bad luck with injuries recently, so some have fewer days of rest or have to play in positions in which they don't perform at their best. But still: if you look at the positions, Bayern has better players almost everywhere. In the end it's still football and the Italians know how to defend.

"I still think that Bayern will go through, but the chances of the Lazio have really increased."