April 11, 2010: Bologna-Lazio 2-3
- Dag Jenkins
- 12 hours ago
- 10 min read
Fantastic comeback
Lazio fight back from two goals down to clinch three possibly decisive survival points
The season so far
The previous season had been Delio Rossi's last and ended on a triumphal note winning the Coppa Italia.
This year Lazio had chosen Davide Ballardini as their new manager. With the change in the dug out there came several changes to the squad. In the summer Lazio had brought in goalkeeper Albano Bizzarri, defender and future Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni (Mallorca-back from loan), Giuseppe Biava (in January from Genoa) and André Dias (Săo Paulo also in January), midfielders Roberto Baronio (Brescia - back from loan), Thomas Hitzlsperger (in January from Stuttgart) and Fabio Firmani (Al-Wasl-back from loan) plus striker Julio Cruz (Inter) and Sergio Floccari (January from Genoa). So not a memorable incoming player market but improved slightly in the winter session.
In the summer obviously some players had also left. Hugely disappointing goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo (who had been welcomed as the new messiah) went to Zaragoza on loan and David Rozehnal was sold to SV Hamburger. Homegrown talent and Lazio fan, Lorenzo De Silvestri went to Fiorentina while versatile Luciano Zauri and striker Libor Kozak were loaned to Sampdoria and Brescia. Defender Emilson Cribari had gone to Siena on loan in the winter market window.
Goran Pandev and Christian Ledesma were initially out of favour and excluded from the squad over contractual issues. Pandev then left for Inter in January while Ledesma was reinstated in February.
Lazio's season had started in a dreamlike fashion. On August 8 in Beijing, the Biancocelesti had defeated José Mourinho's, soon "triplete" winning, Inter 2-1 to lift the Italian Supercoppa for the third time. Goals by Francelino Matuzalém and Tommaso Rocchi sank the seemingly invincible Nerazzurri.
Lazio started the league with the enthusiasm of having won silverware but realistically did not expect any more miracles from the season.
No miracles but neither for things to be going as badly as they were. Lazio had started well winning the first two games of the season but then things went downhill. Their next win came in the 16th fixture, a 1-0 home win against Genoa. Three more defeats followed, a win and two draws. After the last defeat against Catania, 0-1 at home on February 7, Ballardini was sacked and replaced by Edy Reja.
Things were looking grim. Lazio were 17th on 22 points and in the last relegation slot.
Reja had won 2-0 at Parma (up to 15th) on his debut but then drew 1 and lost 3 (back to 17th). Things then improved with 2 wins and 2 recent draws (Milan 1-1 at home and Napoli 1-1 at home) but Lazio were still 17th on 34 points, three above Atalanta in 18th and last relegation slot.
Lazio were also out of Coppa Italia having lost 2-3 away to Fiorentina in the quarter finals on January 20.
In the Europa League the Biancocelesti had been eliminated in the group stage. They had got through a preliminary round (Elfsborg 3-1 on aggregate) but then only won 2 (Levski Sofia 4-0 away and Villareal 2-1 at home) and lost 4 (Salzburg twice 1-2, Villareal 1-4 away and Levski Sofia 0-1 at home). An awful campaign but survival in Serie A was more important.
A crucial game today in Bologna also because Atalanta played Roma away and could likely drop points as the Giallorossi were fighting for the Scudetto.
Bologna had finished 17th the previous season, only clinching survival in the last game. The Rossoblu had started with Daniele Arrigoni (1-10), continued with Siniša Mihajlovic (11-31) and finished with former Lazio, Giuseppe Papadopulo. They had beaten Lazio 3-1 at home but lost 0-2 in Rome. The top scorer was Marco Di Vaio with 25 goals (24 in A).
This season the manager was initially Papadopulo (W1, D3, L4) but he had been replaced by Franco Colomba from the 9th fixture onwards. The main new players were goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano (Brescia), defenders Andrea Raggi (Sampdoria - on loan from Palermo) and Daniele Portanova (Siena), midfielders Roberto Guana (Palermo - on loan), Antonio Buscè (Reggina - in January), Francesco Modesto (Genoa - in January) plus forwards Marcelo Zalayeta (Napoli - on loan) Henry Giménez (River Plate) and Davide Succi (Palermo - on loan in January).
Leaving were goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli (Cesena), defenders Manuel Belleri (Lazio - end of loan then Lecce), Marcello Castellini (retired), Claudio Terzi (Siena) and Diego Rodriguez (Huracán) midfielders Christian Amoroso (Ascoli - after seven seasons), César (Pescina VG), Sergio Volpi (Reggina), Davide Marchini (Triestina - end of loan then Livorno), Davide Bombardini (Albinoleffe - in January), Giacomo Tedesco (Reggina - in January), Francesco Valiani (Parma - in January) and Luca Vigiani (Reggina) plus forward Daniel Pablo Osvaldo (Espanyol - in January).
Bologna were currently 15th with Udinese, so only one point above Lazio. Since Colomba had taken over they had won 8, drawn 5 (including Lazio 0-0) and lost 11 (including last four).
This was definitely a relegation clash this afternoon, whoever lost would be in trouble.
The match: Sunday, April 11, 2010, Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna
A very windy day with periods of sun attracted just over 20,000 to the Dall'Ara. A solid 4,000 had travelled up from Rome.
Lazio were without defenders Stephan Lichtsteiner and Sebastiano Siviglia plus midfielder Francelino Matuzalém. In attack Edy Reja, with the derby looming, chose not to risk Tommaso Rocchi as he was one booking away from a suspension so Sergio Floccari was playing instead.
Bologna were missing defenders Miguel Britos and Nicola Mingazzini plus forward Marcelo Zalayeta.
Bologna dominated the first half hour. Lazio looked sluggish and confused and Giuseppe Biava was out of his depth in an uncustomary midfield position.
The first goal came in the 12th minute. Biava sliced a clearance to Francesco Modesto, the Calabrese midfielder squared to Roberto Guana who had a penalty in movement and put it in the top hand corner, 1-0.
Four minutes passed and the Rossoblu scored again. In the 16th minute, Lazio fan, Daniele Portanova rose up from a corner and headed home, 2-0. All too easy for the home side.
Lazio were all over the place and the Felsinei twice went close to a third, first with a long distance Marco Di Vaio strike and then with a Rafael Santos header.
There was little response from Lazio and after 38 minutes Reja had seen enough. He took off Biava and threw on Rocchi, so changed from 3-4-2-1 to 4-3-3.
A change came immediately as Mauro Zarate hit a post and a few minutes later Lazio halved the deficit. In the 44th minute. Aleksandar Kolarov did well on the left and squared to Stefano Mauri who hit a shot past Emiliano Viviano into the top corner, 2-1. At the break Lazio were suddenly back in the game.
For the statistics lovers, Mauri's goal was Lazio's number 3,000 in Serie A.
In the second half it was now Bologna who were on the ropes. Zarate caused havoc and Viviano was forced to make two excellent saves.
Lazio now were dominant and they equalised in the 63rd minute. Cristian Ledesma floated in a free kick which André Dias headed onto the crossbar, defender Andrea Raggi attempted a clearance but it came off Dias' stomach and ended up in the net, 2-2. An unconventional goal but deserved.
Lazio were now unstoppable and in the 68th minute went in front. From a cross from the right Cristian Brocchi in the area produced a back heel which surprised the defence but not Rocchi who pounced and sent Viviano the wrong way, 2-3. A formidable comeback.
Bologna were groggy but tried to regroup with some substitutions; in the 71st minute Federico Casarini for Guana an in the 74th Henry Giménez for Modesto. Lazio changed forwards in the 78h minute bringing on Julio Cruz for Floccari.
In the 82nd minute the home side even took off top scorer Lazio fan, Marco Di Vaio and put on Davide Succi.
Bologna were down in the dumps and it was Lazio who went closer to a fourth with Fabio Firmani and Zarate. The Italian, and another Biancoceleste fan, had replaced Rocchi in the 88th minute.
Bologna were done and after four minutes of added time Rosetti blew for full-time: Bologna 2 Lazio 3.
A fantastic turnaround of events for the Biancocelesti. A comeback to remember but of vital importance to the present. Lazio were now 16th on 37 points and more importantly six points above Atalanta who had lost 1-2 in Rome. With five games to go Lazio were not safe but had taken a huge step towards their objective.
Bologna were now 17th and had been leapfrogged by Lazio. The Rossoblu still had a four-point cushion on the Bergamaschi but had to be careful.
The only bad news and no minor matter was that with five games to go Roma had gone top of the table as Inter had been held 2-2 in Florence.
Who played for Bologna
Viviano, Raggi, Portanova, Santos, Lanna, Guana (71' Casarini), Mudingayi, Modesto (74' Gimenez), Adailton, Di Vaio (82' Succi)
Substitutes: Colombo, Zenoni, Bassoli, Mutarelli
Manager: Colomba
Who played for Lazio
Muslera, Dias, Stendardo, Radu, Biava (38' Rocchi, 88' Firmani), Brocchi, Ledesma, Kolarov, Mauri, Floccari (78' Cruz), Zarate
Manager: Reja
Referee: Rosetti
Goals: 12' Guana, 16' Portanova, 44' Mauri, 63' Dias, 68' Rocchi
What happened next
Lazio managed to avoid relegation and finished 12th, on 46 points. Top scorer was Tommaso Rocchi with 10 goals while just in Serie A it was Sergio Floccari with 8.
After today's win Lazio lost the derby 1-2 (missing a penalty with Floccari while 1-0 up) but then won 2-1 away at Genoa and gave themselves some breathing space (+6 on Atalanta).
The same day more good news came from city rivals Roma throwing away the Scudetto. The Giallorossi were top with four games to go but then lost 1-2 at home to Sampdoria and were overtaken by Inter. A huge relief for Lazio fans who famously lifted the banner "Oh noooo…" when Inter scored and beat Lazio a week later (by then Lazio were virtually safe).
Lazio then beat Livorno away and Udinese at home which ultimately gave them a more respectable position.
Bologna survived too and finished 17th, on 42 points. In the next game their cushion was reduced to two points but then Bologna beat Parma and Atalanta lost to Inter so they breathed again. In the remaining games after today the Felsinei went unbeaten, winning 1 and drawing 4. The top scorer was Di Vaio with 12 league goals.
The Scudetto was won by Inter who won the famous "Triplete" (Treble) under José Mourinho. The Nerazzurri won the Champions League defeating Bayern Munich 2-0 in Madrid and the Coppa Italia beating Roma 1-0 at the Olimpico. The Biscione however had not won the Italian Supercoppa…. Serie B called for Livorno, Siena and Atalanta.
Let's talk about André Dias
André Gonçalves Dias was born in São Bernardo do Campo (São Paulo), on May 15, 1979.
He started his football in local Palestra de São Bernardo. From there he joined his first professional club in 1998 when he moved to Paraná in Série A. He stayed with the Tricolor da Vila for three years making 44 appearances with 2 goals.
In 2002 he moved to top Brazilian club Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro but only for one year and played 11 times.
In 2003 he joined Paysandu. He played 32 times with 1 goal for Papão de Curuzu (Bogeyman of Curuzu) and then moved on.
In 2004 he signed for Goiás. He stayed two years with Verdăo (Big Green) playing 89 games with 4 goals.
In 2006 came his big break and he joined São Paulo. He became a regular in the centre of the Paulista defence and even became captain. He played four successful seasons with the O Clube da Fé (The faith Team). He made 136 appearances, scored 11 goals and won three consecutive Brazilian titles (2006-2008). In 2008 and 2009 he was included in the best league XI by Bola de Prata magazine. In 2009 he was voted Best Brazilian player of the season.
On February 1 2010 he began a European experience and joined Lazio. The Biancocelesti paid 2.5 million Euros and he signed a contract until 2013.
In his first four months in Rome he played 12 league games and scored 2 goals (Bologna, Genoa). Lazio finished 12th under Edy Reja (who took over from Ballardini on February 10) and Dias showed promise.
In fact the next season Dias became the undisputed first choice centre- back and played 33 league games with 2 goals (Palermo, Napoli) and 1 game in Coppa Italia. Dias and Giuseppe Biava formed an excellent and reliable partnership in the middle and Lazio finished 5th.
In the 2011-12 season he played 23 league games,1 in Coppa Italia and 7 in the Europa League. Lazio had a good season finishing 4th and won both derbies.
The following season was not great in the league with a 7th position under new manager Vladimir Petkovic. Lazio and Dias however got the ultimate satisfaction in the Coppa Italia when they beat city rivals Roma 1-0 in the final. Dias made 27 league appearances, 1 in Coppa Italia and 6 in the Europa League.
The 2013-14 season would be his last for Lazio. The Biancocelesti had a difficult year, replacing Petkovic with Reja after 17 games and finished 9th. Dias made 16 Serie A appearances with 1 goal (Sassuolo), 2 in Coppa Italia and 1 in the Supercoppa final (lost 0-4 to Juventus).
At 35 Dias decided to retire from football. He had played 443 professional games and scored 26 goals. In 2009 he had also got a call up by Carlos Dunga's Brazil for a world cup qualifier versus Chile but Dias was an unused sub.
At Lazio Dias played 131 games (111 in Serie A). He will be remembered as a quality defender, one of the best in recent history. At 1.84 for 80 kilos he was extremely strong and had an excellent sense of position. He was not particularly quick but had good timing and was a solid tackler. He commanded the defence with authority and paired up well with Biava in particular but also Radu. A leader of Lazio's defence for four years and although he didn't play that particular game, he will forever be part of the 2013 Cup Final glory squad who conquered Rome on May 26.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Europa League | Super Coppa |
Jan-Jun 2010 | 12 (2) | 12 (2) | - | - | - |
2010-11 | 34 (2) | 33 (2) | 1 | - | - |
2011-12 | 32 (1) | 23 | 2 (1) | 7 | - |
2012-13 | 34 | 27 | 1 | 6 | - |
2013-14 | 19 (1) | 16 (1) | 2 | - | 1 |
Total | 131 (6) | 111 (5) | 6 (1) | 13 | 1 |
Sources
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