Lazio grab a point in the last minute

Simon Basten
Apr 20, 2024
2 min read

Updated: May 7

Season 2004-05

Game 32, Serie A

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Stadio Sant’Elia, Cagliari

Cagliari Lazio 1-1

Lazio bring home a draw with a last-minute goal by Siviglia

In Serie A things did not go well. In the first 16 games Lazio won four, drew five and lost seven. They had 17 points, just four clear of relegation zone.

So, just before Christmas, Claudio Lotito called another former player, Giuseppe Papadopulo, to manage Lazio. He was seen as more apt to lead the Biancocelesti to safety. The task was immediately uphill since his first game was the derby, but amazingly Lazio won 3-1 and then again in Florence in the next match. They were currently seventh with the relegation zone 8 points away.

The match

The two teams basically studied each other for the first quarter of an hour until Cesar in the 19th minute crossed from the left but Paolo Di Canio could not get a connection. Cagliari responded with an Antonio Langella header which went only slightly wide after an Edgar Alvarez cross from the right. The home side were having difficulty in creating anything dangerous, particularly missing the creativity of their two missing players, Gianfranco Zola and David Suazo. Langella again was dangerous on the half hour on a free kick which forced Angelo Peruzzi to save into corner.

Lazio's biggest chance to score arrived in the 38th minute. Emanuele Filippini raced forward on the counter attack, ball to Di Canio who passed to Cesar on the left wing. The Brazilian crossed low into the box, Tommaso Rocchi dummied and Di Canio unmarked from three metres shot wide. Immediately after, Langella went off on the left and crossed into the box but Mauro Esposito headed wide.

The first twenty minutes of the second half were boring, then Langella was dangerous again with a shot deflected by Giuliano Giannichedda which shaved the post. From the corner taken by Daniele Conti, Simone Loria headed towards Massimo Gobbi who had the easiest of chances but his header went wide. In the 71st minute, Alessandro Budel to Esposito in the box, great volley and Cagliari ahead.

Lazio attacked looking for an equaliser which arrived in the 90th minute. Massimo Oddo took a free kick from the right, Fabio Bazzani headed towards Sebastiano Siviglia who had no problem in heading the ball past Gennaro Iezzo.

A good and deserved point for Lazio

Who played for Cagliari

Iezzo, D. Lopez, Loria, Bega, Agostini, Alvarez (60' R. Bianchi), Conti, Budel, Gobbi, M. Esposito (87' Abeijon), Langella

Substitutes: Brunner, F. Pisano, Vignati, Albino, Brambilla

Manager: Arrigoni

Who played for Lazio

Peruzzi, Oddo, Siviglia, Giannichedda, Zauri, A. Filippini, E. Filippini, Dabo, Cesar (65’ Liverani), Di Canio (55’ Bazzani), Rocchi