Baroni discussed the club's ambitions ahead of tonight's tie at FC Twente.
What kind of team is Twente? Are there any players who have impressed you?
"They are a young team that plays good football, they did very well in the two cup games. For us it will be a tough and difficult test, especially at their home with the support of the crowd that fuels them. We have seen them, we know that tomorrow they will have to give a very high level performance under the sacrifice and intensity, as well as quality. The collective is their strength, they have made several changes but what has surprised me is the quality and mobility of the team."
In the recent past Lazio has neglected the Europa League, do you feel you have to show that you have grown in Europe?
"We want to compete in all the objectives, clearly tomorrow ordinary motivations will not be enough, tomorrow something extraordinary will be needed. These are the games with the best conditions, a beautiful stadium and a young opponent who plays well with enthusiasm. Something out of the ordinary is needed, I expect this from the team and I am convinced that this is what we will need. We will need quality, sacrifice and compactness proposing good football."
What did Saturday's defeat to Juventus leave between performance and controversy?
"I always tell the lads, the episodes that can happen must not undermine our path. I always say that in games if we don't win we learn, in the difficulties against a team like Juventus we knew how to suffer. We imposed ourselves for 22 minutes playing great football, then with the numerical inferiority we also found that defensive aspect of not conceding goals which represents further growth."
Are you convinced that Lazio are the favourites?
"In these games there are no favorites, there are two teams that play good football and within these aspects you take the games home if you want something more than the opponent."
Can you give us an update on the unavailable players?
"These are close matches that put you to the test, we have some defections. Lazzari is recovering, Guendo is a conservative and shared choice to help him recover as best as possible. There is such beauty in these competitions and in these matches that the team will have to seize this opportunity. We also care a lot about the championship, after this match we will immediately dive in and play again in two days. Now, however, we must play with the attention and application that a match like this requires."
Lazio have lost 17 of their last 30 away games, is there a performance problem away from the Olimpico?
"We certainly see this data, I don't like to hide because the numbers say something. In these games there have certainly been some anomalous situations, but we must pay attention to this data. When I talk about attitude that must never be lacking I think it is an important step, the team must not lose its nature. We came from the away game in Turin against Toro where the team did really well, even the start of the game against Juve was done very well by coming in with personality and with the sole thought of playing to win. Today we are once again away from the Olimpico, for this reason I expect a game with the requirements I just mentioned."
Do you want to discover some other aspects of your team?
"No, because I expect constant growth from the team, we have to put something into our work every day and every game. We are working on this, there are many aspects to improve to create a strong identity, the participation that the team puts into our work gives us hope and the performances are confirming it. However, every game puts us in question and we have to confirm ourselves in every game."
How is Dele-Bashiru's growth going?
"Dele is a strong player who will surely explode, he must have greater mental continuity. He comes from a different kind of football, it's not easy to get into the speed of thought of Serie A. He has the speed and physicality, he must grow mentally, as does Tchaouna. They are guys who need to be given time, we don't have time and I don't like to talk about time. However, there is a path to follow and respect when you move to a team like Lazio with the competitions that Lazio faces, we will also have to give them time to make mistakes but I am convinced that they will be able to do their best."
Can you make calculations on the standings with this format?
"We have to take it one match at a time, we know that tomorrow will be an important step for the standings but it would be a mistake. I know what awaits us tomorrow and the team will have to be very ready."