August 10, 2019: Celta Vigo Lazio 1-2
- Simon Basten
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
Immobile Double Secures Lazio Victory Over Celta Vigo
Immobile strikes twice as Inzaghi's side defeat Celta Vigo 2-1 to complete a perfect nine-game pre-season and lift the Memorial Quinocho trophy.
The season so far
The 2018-19 season had been a disappointing one with one exception. Lazio, who had Champions League qualification hopes, started badly with two losses against Napoli and Juventus but by the end of the first half of the season were fourth even if a long way off the top three. They then lost positions but returned fourth by the 29th game after beating Inter in Milan. But in the next four matches they lost three (including at home to already relegated Chievo) and drew one. The last bus was the game against Atalanta but they lost that one too so no top tier European competitions for the 2019-20 season.
In the Europa League they came second in their group behind Eintracht Frankfurt and were then knocked out by Sevilla.
In Coppa Italia, however, it was a different story. After beating Novara 4-1 in January, they beat Inter in the penalty shoot-out in the quarterfinals and Milan in the semis. In the final, two goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Joaquin Correa in the last ten minutes enabled them to beat Atalanta, win their seventh Coppa Italia, and qualify for the Europa League.
In the 2019-20 season there were high hopes. The previous year had seen a not so good season from Luis Alberto, Milinkovic-Savic and Ciro Immobile due to a number of injuries and it was hoped that if the three managed to play better, an improvement would be guaranteed.
Simone Inzaghi had been confirmed as manager and the new arrivals were Manuel Lazzari (Spal), Denis Vavro (Copenhagen), Jony (Malaga) and young Bobby Adekanye on a free transfer. Leaving Lazio were Romulo (end of loan so back to Genoa), Bruno Jordão and Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton) and Alessandro Murgia (Spal). Dušan Basta had retired.
The Biancocelesti had spent their usual few weeks pre-season training at Auronzo di Cadore where they had won five games scoring an impressive 44 goals. They then went on to win in Bournemouth, Paderborn and against Al Shabab Riyad. Today was the final preseason friendly in Vigo.
The match: Saturday, August 10, 2019, Estadio Municipal de Balaidos, Vigo
Lazio concluded their overseas pre-season preparations with a 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo at the Estadio Municipal de Balaídos, completing a perfect run of nine wins from nine friendly matches. Ciro Immobile was the star of the evening, scoring twice inside the opening 25 minutes to give Simone Inzaghi's side a commanding lead before the hosts pulled one back before half-time.
The victory also secured the Memorial Quinocho trophy for Lazio and provided another encouraging performance.
Inzaghi fielded a strong starting eleven in Vigo, with Thomas Strakosha in goal and a back three of Denis Vavro, Francesco Acerbi and Stefan Radu. Manuel Lazzari and Jony operated as the wing-backs, with Marco Parolo and Lucas Leiva in midfield alongside Luis Alberto. Joaquin Correa supported Immobile in attack.
The opening stages immediately suggested that Lazio intended to continue their excellent pre-season form.
Celta started brightly in front of their home supporters, but Lazio soon took control. The Biancocelesti pressed high, moved the ball quickly and repeatedly looked to exploit the space on the flanks. Jony, making his first start as a full wing-back for Lazio, was particularly influential on the left, while Lazzari provided a constant threat on the opposite side.
The breakthrough arrived after just seven minutes.
Jony received the ball on the left and delivered an inviting cross into the penalty area. Immobile attacked the delivery and met it with a powerful header, sending the ball beyond the goalkeeper to give Lazio the lead.
Celta attempted to respond, and Strakosha was forced into an excellent save after Denis Suárez found space to shoot. The Lazio goalkeeper reacted brilliantly to keep the hosts from immediately equalising.
Instead, Lazio doubled their advantage.
The second goal, scored in the 25th minute, was the product of a flowing attacking move. Lucas Leiva recovered possession before the ball was worked through Luis Alberto and Correa. Jony then became involved again, combining with Luis Alberto before the ball eventually reached Parolo.
The midfielder switched play towards Lazzari, who delivered a first-time cross into the area.
Immobile was waiting.
The striker produced a superb finish, meeting the cross on the volley and sending the ball into the net. It was an outstanding goal and completed a brilliant individual performance inside the opening half-hour.
Lazio were now playing with confidence. Luis Alberto and Correa constantly changed positions, making it difficult for Celta's defence to track them, while the movement of the two wing-backs created additional space. The visitors were capable of attacking at speed but also of patiently moving the ball through midfield before suddenly accelerating towards goal.
The only problem was that Lazio were unable to turn their dominance into a third goal.
Correa came close, while Lazzari and Vavro also threatened. Lazio were creating enough opportunities to put the game beyond Celta's reach, but the hosts remained alive.
And with six minutes remaining in the first half, Celta were handed a way back into the match.
A relatively harmless long-range shot from Fran Beltrán appeared to be heading comfortably towards Strakosha. Instead, the Lazio goalkeeper failed to hold the ball, allowing it to slip through his hands and into the net.
It was a disappointing mistake and one that ensured the hosts went into the interval with renewed hope.
Lazio led 2-1 at half-time, but the match was far from over.
Inzaghi made several changes during the second half. Radu was replaced by Bastos, while Danilo Cataldi came on for Leiva. Felipe Caicedo replaced Immobile, before later making way for André Anderson after suffering a muscular problem. Bobby Adekanye and Patric also entered the game, while Valon Berisha was introduced during the closing stages.
The substitutions inevitably changed the rhythm of the match, but Lazio continued to create chances.
Jony remained one of the most dangerous players on the pitch. The Spaniard had already provided the assist for Immobile's opening goal and later produced another excellent delivery, this time finding Acerbi in the penalty area. The defender rose to meet the cross, but his header struck the crossbar.
Caicedo then came close to scoring shortly after his introduction, only to see his effort hit the woodwork as well.
Lazio continued to threaten on the counter-attack, with their pace causing problems whenever Celta committed players forward. Adekanye also came close when a dangerous shot-cross travelled across the face of goal without finding a Lazio player able to apply the finishing touch.
At the other end, Celta continued to search for an equaliser. Lazio's defence occasionally looked vulnerable, particularly as fatigue began to set in, but Acerbi and Vavro dealt with most of the danger. The visitors also had Strakosha to thank for his earlier save, which proved increasingly important as the match progressed.
Cataldi came close to extending Lazio's lead with a powerful long-range effort, while the visitors continued to threaten through Correa and their wide players. But there was to be no further scoring.
The final whistle confirmed a 2-1 victory for Lazio.
It was their ninth win in nine pre-season matches, an extraordinary record that had seen Inzaghi's side defeat opponents from across Europe and beyond. The victory also earned Lazio the Memorial Quinocho trophy and brought their total to 59 goals during the summer preparations.
Who played for Celta Vigo
Ruben Blanco, Kevin V. (75' Molina), Aidoo (61' J. Sáenz), D. Costas (61' Nestor), Olaza, Brais, Beltran (83' Bermejo), Lobotka (75' Carreira), Denis (83' Sisto), Iago Aspas, Lautaro (75' Losada)
Substitutes: Ivan Villar, Vieites
Manager: Escriba
Who played for Lazio
Strakosha, Vavro (67' Patric), Acerbi, Radu (59' Bastos), Lazzari, Parolo, Leiva (59' Cataldi), Luis Alberto (75' Berisha), Jony (67' Adekanye), Correa, Immobile (59' Caicedo, 68' André Anderson)
Manager: Inzaghi
Referee: González Fuertes
Goals: 7’ Immobile, 25’ Immobile, 39’ Beltran
What happened next
A slow start for Lazio. Until October Lazio had shown potential but also thrown away points here and there. They were not playing well either. Immobile was scoring a lot as usual but it was not working. The Europa League campaign had also started badly.
At the end of the first half in the match at home against Atalanta, Lazio were losing 3-0. The season was practically a write off, and it was only October. But then something triggered in the players’ head. Lazio managed to draw the game and start a winning streak which only ended after a club record of 11 wins, including Milan away (for the first time since 1989) and Juventus. They also beat the Bianconeri in the Supercoppa in Riyad.
Lazio were playing beautifully, scoring lots of goals and Immobile was on fire. They had reached top spot in Serie A with a win against Bologna and success seemed behind the corner. But then Covid stopped the world and when the Biancocelesti came back to play, bad form, injuries and the problem in substituting key players such as Lucas Leiva and Lulic, broke everybody’s dreams.
However, they managed to secure 4th place and Champions League for the 2020-2021 season.
Immobile scored 36 goals in Serie A, equalling the Italian record set by Gonzalo Higuain. This was enough for him to win the European Golden Boot.
Lazio Jersey 2019-20
Image Sources: Football Kit Archive
The 2019/20 season saw Lazio continue their partnership with Macron, producing a collection of shirts that combined the club's traditional colours with modern technical details. The season was also particularly significant from a historical perspective, as Lazio celebrated their 120th anniversary with a commemorative shirt inspired by one of the most successful periods in the club's history.
The home shirt retained Lazio's traditional celeste and white colours. Its most distinctive feature was a series of horizontal embossed stripes across the front, giving the otherwise classic design a subtle texture. The sleeves remained plain, allowing the striped effect on the body of the shirt to stand out.
The shirt featured an elegant knitted stand-up collar, while knitted inserts were also incorporated into the cuffs and lower hem. Numerous mesh and micromesh panels were included in the design to improve breathability and keep the players cool during matches. The shirt had a slim fit and was produced using Macron's Softlock fabric.
On the back of the collar, the name of the club was subtly embossed into the material, providing a discreet detail that reinforced the shirt's identity.
The away shirt adopted a much cleaner and more understated appearance. Produced in white poly-stretch fabric, it featured two vertical stripes on the front, one celeste and one navy blue. The Lazio crest was positioned prominently over these stripes, creating a strong visual contrast with the predominantly white design.
Knitted details appeared around the V-neck, cuffs and lower hem, while mesh inserts around the shoulders and sides provided additional ventilation. As with the home shirt, the back of the collar carried an embossed SS Lazio inscription.
One notable difference concerned the placement of the Coppa Italia badge. Unlike the home and third shirts, the away shirt displayed the Coppa Italia badge in the centre of the jersey, aligned with the Macron and Lazio logos.
The third shirt offered the most striking alternative to the traditional home design. Navy blue formed the dominant colour, giving the jersey a more imposing and contemporary appearance. Horizontal embossed stripes once again featured across the front, creating continuity with the home shirt while giving the third kit its own identity.
Celeste details provided contrast against the navy base, while knitted material was used for the stand-up collar, cuffs and lower hem. Mesh inserts were again incorporated to improve ventilation and comfort.
The goalkeeper's away shirt was considerably more adventurous. The jersey was produced in a bright fluorescent green and featured a distinctive camouflage-style design created using a sublimated graphic. Laser-cut details were incorporated along the sides, while the club name appeared on the back of the collar using transfer technology.
The goalkeeper's shirt also featured a V-split collar and a slim fit.
The most historically significant shirt of the season, however, was undoubtedly the special 120th Anniversary Celebration Shirt.
To mark Lazio's 120th anniversary, the club and Macron unveiled a commemorative jersey inspired by one of the most successful periods in the club's history. The shirt Lazio during the Serie A match against Napoli on 11 January 2020, which the Biancocelesti won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Ciro Immobile.
The commemorative shirt drew inspiration from the jerseys worn during the 1998/99 and 1999/00 seasons, before the introduction of the Centenary shirt in January 2000.
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