2022-23 Season
Game 26
March 11, 2023
Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna
Bologna Lazio 0-0
But at least you should try sometimes. A tired Lazio are unable to be dangerous against an excellent Bologna.
The team
Maurizio Sarri leaves out Danilo Cataldi, who had had a few problems during the week, and confirms the midfield that played at Napoli. Adam Marusic is suspended so in comes Manuel Lazzari on the right. With Inter having lost, a win would give Lazio second place.
The game
After an innocuous shot by Musa Barrow in the 8th minute, Lazio have their biggest chance of the match in the 15th. Luis Alberto from the edge of the box on the left makes a magnificent pass to Pedro in the centre. The Spaniard stops the ball but slips while shooting. Wide.
The game is played at a good rhythm. Bologna play mainly at the back to then surge forward once they have beaten the Biancoceleste pressing. In the 28th minute Stefan Posch from the right crosses into the box, the ball is cleared by Lazzari, Georgios Kyriakopoulos crosses again for the completely unmarked Lewis Ferguson but his header hits the post. In the 33rd minute Nikola Moro to Barrow who shoots from just inside the box on the left, Ivan Provedel saves.
Two minutes later, the usual play by Mattia Zaccagni who leaves behind a couple of players and passes to Luis Alberto all alone in front of Lukasz Skorupski. The excellent timing of the Bologna goalkeeper does not allow the Spaniard to do anything much apart from trying to get the ball under his legs. The attempt fails, Skorupski saves but Felipe Anderson has a difficult volley from the edge of the box on the left, the Pole saves again.
Posch has an opportunity from a corner in the 39th minute but his header is wide.
In the first minute of injury time Matias Vecino pushes Ferguson and is booked. It is his fifth booking of the season in Serie A and will therefore be suspended for the Derby. This is the third consecutive time in which the referee surgically books a fundamental Lazio player on the verge of suspension before the Derby. Since Fabio Maresca had ignored repeated bookable fouls by Bologna (a déjà vu, the same thing had happened in the match at the Olimpico), the decision seems harsh.
Second half
Bologna starts the second half well. Posch runs down the right wing in the 47th minute, moves towards the centre and passes the ball to Kyriakopoulos on the left just inside the box. His shot is just wide.
In the 51st minute Lazio’s last chance of the match. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to Felipe Anderson who dribbles past a couple of Bologna defenders and gives the ball to Zaccagni in the box on the left. The Italian winger shoots very wide.
Bologna could have scored in the 82nd minute. Nicolò Casale loses the ball, Joshua Zirkee to Barrow who tries a shot from outside the box for the umpteenth time but is again unsuccessful. The ball however is just fractionally wide.
Not a good Lazio, especially up front. But with Pedro, Milinkovic-Savic and Zaccagni in poor form and Lazzari too timid, this is the maximum Lazio could do.
Who played for Bologna
Skorupski, Posch, Soumaoro, Lucumì, Cambiaso, Moro (62' Pyythiä), Schouten (62' Medel); Aebischer (80' Soriano), Ferguson, Kyriakopoulos (57' Zirkzee), Barrow.
Substitutes: Bardi, Ravaglia, Sosa, Bonifazi, Lykogiannis, De Silvestri, Sansone, Arnautovic.
Manager: Thiago Motta
Who played for Lazio
Provedel, Lazzari, Casale, Romagnoli, Hysaj, Milinkovic-Savic, Vecino, Luis Alberto (63' Basic), Pedro (80' Cancellieri), Felipe Anderson, Zaccagni.
Substitutes: Maximiano, Adamonis, Patric, Radu, Pellegrini, Gila, Fares, Cataldi, Marcos Antonio, Bertini, Romero.
Manager: Sarri
Referee: Maresca
Booked: Hysaj, Moro, Ferguson, Vecino, Zaccagni
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