August 4, 2021: Lazio Meppen 1-1
- Simon Basten
- 1 day ago
- 9 min read
Lazio Held to Draw by Third Tier Meppen
Muriqi's header cancels out an early Meppen opener, while Immobile misses a late penalty as Sarri's Lazio are held to another 1-1 draw in pre-season.
The season so far
The planning of the 2021-22 season practically started only a few days after the end of the previous one. Simone Inzaghi, Claudio Lotito and Igli Tare met in the evening of May 23 to discuss the manager’s contract renewal. By the very early hours of the 24th all was settled: Inzaghi would sign another contract with Lazio and was expected at the club headquarters the next morning. This is what he told his closest collaborators as well as a few players.
What was really happening? Apparently Inzaghi was buying time, faking a possible renewal with Lazio while at the same time negotiating a deal with Inter. On the morning of the 24th, Simone called Lotito to basically say “sorry, ain’t coming in this morning, gonna sign with Inter”. A shock for Lazio who really did not expect to lose Inzaghi. Apparently Inzaghi and Tare had even spoken about the summer transfers. Everything had been agreed. Lazio had to start from scratch.
Lotito at this point had to decide what to do. So, he chose change, drastic change, both in mentality and professionalism: in came Maurizio Sarri. This meant moving from the Inzaghi classic 3-5-2 formation to 4-3-3, a BIG change.
Lazio had budget problems and could not invest too much on new players: in came Mattia Zaccagni, Pedro, Toma Basic, Elsied Hysaj, Luka Romero and the return of Felipe Anderson. Senad Lulic and Marco Parolo did not have their contract extended.
Lazio were in their second pre-season training phase. They had already been at Auronzo di Cadore from July 10 to 28 and were now at Marienfeld in Germany from August 2 to 7. After a couple of easy friendlies, they had played against Triestina winning 5-2 and Padova drawing 1-1. Today was the only test in Germany.
The match: Wednesday, August 4, 2021, Hotel Residence Klosterpforte, Marienfeld
Lazio's preparations for the 2021-22 season suffered another minor setback as Maurizio Sarri's side were held to a 1-1 draw by German third-tier side Meppen in Marienfeld. It was the second consecutive draw against lower-league opposition after the identical result against Padova, and although the match offered Sarri the chance to welcome several of his international players back into the team, the performance remained uneven.
There were, however, some mitigating circumstances. Ciro Immobile, Francesco Acerbi and Joaquín Correa had only recently returned to the squad following their involvement with Italy and Argentina respectively. Immobile, in particular, was making his first appearance of pre-season, while the match also represented an important step in Sarri's attempt to introduce his new tactical ideas to a group of players who had spent five seasons working under Simone Inzaghi.
Lazio began with Thomas Strakosha in goal and a back four of Adam Marusic, Luiz Felipe, Stefan Radu and Elseid Hysaj. Lucas Leiva anchored the midfield alongside Sergej Milinković-Savić and Luis Alberto, while Felipe Anderson and Raúl Moro supported Vedat Muriqi in attack.
The Biancocelesti struggled to impose themselves during the opening stages. Sarri's team attempted to play with a higher defensive line and greater intensity in possession, but the movements were not yet automatic. Lazio often appeared hesitant, with the players still adapting to the positional demands of their new manager.
Meppen took advantage after just 14 minutes.
Luiz Felipe made a costly mistake when he lost possession during the build-up, allowing Meppen to break forward. The German side immediately exploited the opening, and Lukas Krüger raced into the penalty area before beating Strakosha to put the hosts ahead.
The goal was a disappointing one for Lazio, but the response was immediate.
Just five minutes later, Felipe Anderson provided the answer. The Brazilian worked his way down the flank before delivering a precise cross into the area, where Muriqi rose to head the ball past the goalkeeper and restore parity.
The goal was one of the brighter moments of the first half for the Biancocelesti. Muriqi, who had endured a difficult first season in Rome, looked considerably more involved than in some of his previous appearances and showed greater energy in leading the attack.
Lazio nevertheless struggled to create a consistent rhythm. Luis Alberto came close to giving his side the lead when he attempted to finish from a promising position, but his effort went wide. Muriqi also missed a golden opportunity, hitting the crossbar with the goal seemingly at his mercy.
The two teams went into half-time level at 1-1.
Sarri made several changes at the interval, introducing Manuel Lazzari, Patric, Acerbi, Danilo Cataldi and Immobile. The substitutions were particularly significant because they brought three of Lazio's key players back into action following their extended summer break.
Immobile immediately looked to make an impact.
The newly appointed Lazio captain had a chance to score when he broke through on goal after a pass from Cataldi. He rounded the advancing goalkeeper but was unable to finish with the goal unguarded.
It was an early indication that Immobile was still finding his rhythm after his post-European Championship holiday.
The second half also saw further changes, with Dimitrije Kamenović, Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro, Gonzalo Escalante, Luka Romero and Correa all entering the match. The constant substitutions disrupted the flow of the game, but they allowed Sarri to give minutes to a large portion of his squad.
Correa, in particular, was under considerable attention. The Argentine had made it clear that he wanted to leave Lazio during the summer transfer window, and his future remained uncertain. He nevertheless played an active role after coming on and later won a penalty following a run into the area.
With just three minutes of normal time remaining, Lazio had the opportunity to complete the comeback.
Immobile stepped up from the penalty spot.
But the striker's first appearance of the summer ended without a goal. His right-footed effort was not sufficiently well placed, allowing Meppen goalkeeper Matthis Harsman to dive across and make the save.
It was a frustrating moment for Lazio, who had been given the chance to snatch victory at the end of a match in which they had struggled to find their best football.
The evening ended on another sour note when Correa was sent off in stoppage time. Already booked for a foul, the Argentine received a second yellow card for protesting and was dismissed.
The final whistle confirmed another 1-1 draw for Lazio.
For Sarri, the result was less important than the work still required to transform his new team. Lazio had shown flashes of the football their manager wanted, but the transition from Inzaghi's system was proving difficult. The players were being asked to defend higher, press more aggressively and move the ball with greater speed and precision, but the process was clearly still in its early stages.
The two consecutive draws against Padova and Meppen were therefore cause for some concern, particularly given the quality of the opposition. At the same time, Lazio's preparations had been complicated by the late return of several key players and an incomplete squad, with the transfer market still restricted by the club's financial situation.
There were positives to take from the match. Muriqi scored a well-taken equaliser, Felipe Anderson provided an assist and Immobile was finally able to begin his pre-season preparations. The return of the captain and the other internationals also gave Sarri a more complete group with which to work.
But there was no escaping the feeling that Lazio still had considerable work ahead of them.
Sarri had arrived in Rome with the task of changing not only the team's tactical approach but also its mentality and style of play. Against Meppen, the process was still very much a work in progress.
Who played for Lazio
Strakosha, Marusic (46' Lazzari), Luiz Felipe (46' Patric), Radu (46' Acerbi), Hysaj (60' Kamenovic), Milinkovic-Savic (60' Akpa Akpro), Leiva (60' Escalante), Luis Alberto (46' Cataldi), Felipe Anderson (60' Romero), Muriqi (46' Immobile), Moro (60' Correa)
Manager: Sarri
Who played for Meppen
Harsman, Jesgarzewski (66' Ballmert), Osée (64' Käuper, 83' Klöpper), Fedl, Al-Hazaimeh (54' Bünning), Evseev (77' Benke), Egerer, Dombrowa (66' Faßbender), Ametov (77' Hoffmann), Krüger (83' Ideler), Guder (77' Holt)
Substitutes: Punt
Manager: Schmitt
Referee: Exner
Goals: 14’ Dombrowa, 19’ Muriqi
What happened next
The season started well but then became very inconsistent. Great wins (Inter, Roma), great collapses (Bologna, Verona, Napoli), completely incapable of finding any kind of happy medium. Whereas from an attacking point of view the team were doing well, they were terrible defensively, from the goalkeeper to the central defenders but the midfield was also to blame, unable to give sufficient cover. Some players adapted perfectly to the new system (Ciro Immobile was scoring more than ever, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was having his best season at Lazio), others were having problems (Luis Alberto, Francesco Acerbi, Luiz Felipe, Manuel Lazzari). But Sarri did warn everybody that the first season was going to be a transitional one, and that it was preparatory for 2022-23.
The Europa League Group stage was determined by an incredible howler by Thomas Strakosha which cost Lazio the match against Galatasaray. This undermined the rest of the tournament as Lazio arrived second in their group and had to play Porto in the playoff. Despite showing that potentially the Biancocelesti were the better team, they lost in Portugal 2-1 due to defensive errors and only managed to draw 2-2 at home.
In Coppa Italia, the Biancocelesti struggled at home against Udinese and only won in extra time. The quarter final, played a few days before the Bologna game, against Milan was a disaster with Lazio having another one of their black outs. They lost 4-0 and were eliminated.
In Serie A, Europa League qualification was ultimately secured thanks to a last-minute equaliser in Turin against Juventus and the draw at home in the final game against Verona also clinched 6th place.
The player with most appearances was Felipe Anderson (48) and the top goal scorer was obviously Immobile with 32 goals. He was the top scorer in Serie A for the fourth time, the first Italian player ever to achieve such a feat.
Lazio jersey 2021-22
Image Sources: Football Kit Archive
The 2021/22 Lazio shirt marked the beginning of another season with Macron and combined the club's traditional Biancoceleste identity with an increasingly important message about sustainability. The launch campaign placed particular emphasis on environmental responsibility, with the shirt produced using Eco-Softlock fabric made from recycled plastic and certified by the Global Recycled Standard.
The home shirt retained Lazio's unmistakable identity, although its shade of blue was described as a light sky blue tending towards azure. The design featured a knitted V-neck with white detailing, while the sleeve cuffs were also made from knitted material. The overall appearance recalled Lazio's final Puma home shirt from the 2011/12 season, giving the 2021/22 design a subtle connection with a recent period in the club's history.
The shirt featured a personalised back-neck design with the Lazio crest set against a navy-blue background, accompanied by the club motto, "NOI L'AMIAMO... E PER LEI COMBATTIAMO" ("We love her... and for her we fight"). Beneath the collar on the back was the inscription S.S. LAZIO.
The Macron branding appeared on the right side of the chest in blue, using a silicone print, while the Lazio crest occupied the left side over the heart. The front of the shirt was given additional visual interest by a series of thin, double vertical stripes incorporated into the fabric in a tone-on-tone embossed graphic.
The home kit was completed by white shorts featuring flat navy-blue drawstrings with sky-blue tips. The white socks carried two horizontal stripes around the centre, one sky blue and one navy blue. Together, the three elements produced a traditional Lazio colour combination, with the familiar Biancoceleste identity remaining at the centre of the design.
The environmental message extended beyond the appearance of the shirt itself. The Eco-Softlock fabric used by Macron was made entirely from recycled polyester yarn. The material was designed to be lightweight, soft and highly resistant to tearing, while also providing quick-drying properties. The collaboration between Lazio and Macron therefore presented the shirt as both a symbol of the club's history and a statement about sustainability and the circular economy.
The away shirt adopted a very different visual approach. Its main body was white, while the upper section incorporated a sky-blue stripe and a navy-blue block across the shoulders. The back of the neck featured a heat-printed S.S. LAZIO inscription, while sky-blue piping was used around the side vents at the bottom of the shirt. The same Eco-Softlock fabric was used for the away kit.
The third shirt was considerably more striking. Black formed the main colour, complemented by sky-blue details, while a stylised eagle appeared repeatedly across the front of the shirt. The eagle graphic was also incorporated into the sleeves through an embossed design. As with the away shirt, the back neck featured the S.S. LAZIO inscription and sky-blue piping highlighted the side vents.
The goalkeeper's home shirt was yellow and featured a comparatively simple design. A sublimated embossed graphic appeared on both sides of the shirt, while a Scudetto patch was positioned over the heart. The inscription "ss lazio" appeared in black on the back, just below the collar. There was also a light grey version.
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