April 18, 2021: Lazio Benevento 5-3
- Simon Basten
- Apr 18
- 6 min read
We do so like to complicate matters
Lazio dominated but let Benevento back into the game and only an Immobile late goal secured victory
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had come fourth securing a Champions League qualification for the first time since 2007. At one point there were even scudetto hopes, but the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic and the forced stoppage took away the exceptional state of form Lazio were in so they had to settle for fourth.
This season there were high hopes to maintain the position acquired last year and to do well in CL. In the summer transfer window new players arrived: Pepe Reina (free agent), Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro (Salernitana), Gonzalo Escalante (free agent), Mohamed Fares (Spal), Andreas Pereira (on loan from Manchester United), Vedat Muriqi (Fenerbahçe) and the return of Wesley Hoedt on loan from Southampton. Leaving Lazio were Jordan Lukaku (loan to Antwerp), André Anderson (loan to Salernitana), Jony (loan to Osasuna), Bobby Adekanye (loan to Cadiz), Valon Berisha (Stade Reims), Riccardo Kishna and Ivan Vargic who had not renewed their contracts.
The summer was characterised by the possible arrival of David Silva, splendid Spanish midfielder who had not renewed his contract with Manchester City. The first contacts between the player's agent, his brother Nandez Jimenez, started on July 27. The first offer arrived on August 4: three-year contract, 10 billion euros gross, apartment in central Rome and the use of a private jet. Jimenez arrived in Rome on August 7 to fine tune the details and all was decided. David Silva would be playing for Lazio.
Slight problem. He had not signed the contract yet. Lazio sent the documentation and waited. The agent literally disappeared and Silva continued to train with Man City. Sporting director Igli Tare tried to reach out to the player and his entourage but to no avail. The club decided to issue an ultimatum for August 16. Still no news. On the 17th Jimenez contacted Lazio to say that the deal was off and a few hours later Silva signed for Real Sociedad.
What happened? David Silva’s agent used Lazio to get a better deal with Real Sociedad. As a consequence, with the fans fuming at Tare for not having closed the deal, the club got anxious and signed Muriqi paying him way too much. But Igli needed to send a sign to calm things down. A big mistake.
At the end of the first half of the season they were sixth with Napoli and had four consecutive victories, including a 3-0 in the derby. The wins on the trot (including beating Atalanta in Bergamo) became six before falling to Inter. They were still sixth and a Champions League qualification was rather far away.
In the Champions League it was a different story. In their first game against Erling Haaland’s Borussia Dortmund, Lazio put on a marvellous display and won 3-1. With two wins and four draws they achieved second place, but were then eliminated by Bayern Munich in the round of 16.
The match: Sunday, April 18, 2021, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
In the fourth minute Lazio went very close to scoring. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from the right moved the ball towards the other side of the pitch, Mohamed Fares volleyed a cross towards the centre of the box, Ciro Immobile tried a difficult header which hit the woodwork, then his attempted tap in went wide. In the 10th minute Lucas Leiva to Joaquin Correa who passed to Immobile in front of Lorenzo Montipò. The King did not control the ball perfectly and it went forward slightly so the keeper, the Lazio striker and Fabio De Paoli all went for it and it was the defender who got the final touch but the ball went into the net. The linesman put his flag up for some unknown reason, fortunately VAR validated the goal.
Ten minutes later, Luis Alberto to Milinkovic-Savic, splendid assist for Immobile who in front of the keeper did not miss. Lazio 2 Benevento 0.
Another quarter of an hour and Lazio on the counter attack. Leiva to Correa who passed to Immobile. Four Lazio players running towards the Benevento goal, just one defender. The King close to the box passed back to the Argentinian who in front of Montipò tried a lob but was brought down by the keeper. Penalty for Lazio. This time Correa stepped up for the spot kick and did not miss.
Towards the end of the first half, Benevento reduced the deficit with a fantastic curling shot from Marco Sau which Pepe Reina could do nothing about.
The three-goal gap was re-established in the 48th minute. Luis Alberto to Immobile on the counter attack, ball to Correa in the box, the Argentinian tried to cross towards the middle as Montipò came out but the ball hit the keeper’s foot and went in.
It started to rain heavily at the Olimpico and in the 56th minute a foul on Milinkovic-Savic by Adolfo Gaich meant another penalty for the Biancocelesti. Immobile took the spot kick but Montipò saved. In came Fares and the keeper was nothing short of miraculous in lifting the ball over the crossbar. Six minutes later penalty for Benevento. Adam Marusic hugged Artur Ionita as he was about to head the ball. The ref decided that the sudden gesture of affection had to be punished. Nicolas Viola made it 2-4.
The visitors made it 3-4 three minutes later with Gianluca Lapadula but he had fouled Immobile and the goal was not given. Lazio switched off completely and in the 85th minute Benevento scored their third. Viola took a corner and Kamil Glik headed the ball in.
The Giallorossi surged forward for an equaliser with the Biancocelesti in great difficulty but in the sixth minute of injury time Immobile closed the game. With all of the Benevento team in the Lazio half, Marco Parolo on the counter attack gave a good ball to King Ciro who had no difficulty in depositing the ball past Montipò.
A match which had looked easy suddenly became complicated for the Biancocelesti who took their eye off the game too early.
Who played for Lazio
Reina, Marusic, Acerbi, Radu, Lazzari, Milinkovic-Savic, Leiva (56' Parolo), Luis Alberto (70' Akpa Akpro, 86' Hoedt), Fares (56' Lulic); Correa (70' Muriqi), Immobile
Manager: S. Inzaghi (Farris on the bench)
Who played for Benevento
Montipò, Depaoli, Glik, Barba, Letizia (57' Caldirola), Insigne, Schiattarella (57' Viola), Ionita (78' Falque), Improta; Sau (46' Dabo), Gaich (57' Lapadula)
Substitutes: Manfredini, Lucatelli, Tello, Hetemaj, Di Serio, Pastina
Manager: F. Inzaghi
Referee: Ghersini
Goals: 10' Depaoli (og), 20' Immobile, 37' Correa (pen), 45' Sau, 48' Montipò (og), 63' Viola (pen), 85' Glik, 90'+6' Immobile
What happened next
The season was characterised by great games, on a par with the previous season, and matches where Lazio were completely absent. So often the team would make three steps forward one week and two back the week after. And these steps back were often against “weaker teams”.
Why were there problems? There were probably four reasons.
Lazio, for the first time in many many years, were in the Champions League. This sapped some of the strength out of the team.
The second problem was that the players signed in the summer were not doing well and the much-needed reinforcements came in areas where there was no need (€20 million for Vedat Muriqi) instead of where they were desperately needed (defence).
Simone Inzaghi was making many mistakes. He chose Mohamed Fares and the return of Wesley Hoedt in the transfer window and they were just not good enough; he kept insisting on playing Joaquin Correa who was the shadow of the previous season; kept Luis Alberto on the pitch for 90 minutes on his off days and substituted him early in the second half on his good days; had problems in reading the games and therefore often blundered substitutions. The management of Thomas Strakosha was also terrible and ruined not only the player but also his relationship with the club.
The last problem was Covid. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Lazio had lost themselves. Before Covid they were on top of their game, since, they were struggling.
The Biancocelesti failed to qualify for the Champions League but at least made it for the Europa League.
The player with most appearances this season was Marusic with 46 games and the top scorer was obviously Immobile with 25 goals.
Let’s talk about Marco Alia
Marco Alia was born on April 26 2000 in Albano Laziale near Rome.
He is of Albanian nationality.
He started playing football in a local Rome team and joined Lazio in 2015. He played for the Primavera in 2018-19 and two seasons later he became Lazio’s third goalkeeper, though he never debuted with the first team.
After following the pre-season training in 2021, he was loaned to Monterosi in Serie C with the loan becoming a definite signing a year later.
In 2023-24 he moved to Albania to play for Skenderbeu.
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