Through

Simon Basten

Feb 23, 2023

3 min read

2022-23 Season

Conference League

Knockout Round Play-offs

Thursday, February 23, 2023

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Stadionul Dr. Constantin Radulescu, Cluj-Napoca

CFR Cluj Lazio 0-0

Lazio avoid problems and safely go through to the knock out stage of the Conference League

The team

Maurizio Sarri had to deal with a number of problems. Missing Patric (suspended), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Mattia Zaccagni (flu), Alessio Romagnoli and Pedro (injured), he was forced to reinvent the team. Luis Maximiano was in goal, GIla in defence, Toma Basic and Matias Vecino at midfield and Luka Romero in attack.

This was not the only issue. The pitch was in terrible conditions and Lazio would certainly have problems in developing their usual game.

The match

The two teams started slowly and Lazio took a while to figure out how to play on that pitch.

In the 17th minute Manuel Lazzari crossed from the right, Luis Alberto headed the ball on the near post, Simone Scuffet saved into corner. Three minutes later the first opportunity for Cluj and it was a colossal one. Nicolò Casale mistakenly passed the ball to Cephas Malele who immediately gave it to Ermal Krasniqi. Gila slipped, the Kosovarian shot, but the ball was wide.

In the 28th minute Luis Alberto to Felipe Anderson who had a completely free left wing to run down. Once in the box he crossed low, Ciro Immobile missed the shot and Basic was so surprised that he could not control it.

In the 36th minute Karlo Muhar was booked and in the 37th there was a clear penalty for Lazio. Immobile was fouled in the box by Denis Kolinger, but the referee booked Ciro for play acting. Still not lucky with refs in Europe that year.

Second half

Lazio seemed to play a bit better in the second half and Cluj were often on the defensive. In the 53rd minute Luis Alberto tried to surprise Scuffet from a corner kick. The ball was sent into the top left corner, the Italian goalkeeper saved with difficulty. In the 61st minute the Spaniard tried again from a corner, this time on the other post. Scuffet could not get to it, Rangelo Janga saved on the line.

Between the two corners, Cluj had another chance in the 54th minute. On the counter attack, Janga passed to Krasniqi who did not find the right moment to shoot and eventually kicked wide.

In the 63rd minute Lazio had four incredible chances in seven seconds. Gila crossed from the right, the ball was deflected and went up in the air, Janga headed the ball back but it reached Vecino who promptly shot but he was walled by Cristian Manea. Casale then had a chance but Scuffet saved. Ball to Vecino but Scuffet saved again. Gila headed towards Vecino, wide. Should have been a goal there.

In the 77th minute Muhar got a second booking for a foul on Immobile and was sent off. In the 88th massive chance for Cluj to go to extra time. Christopher Braun crossed into the box from the right, the ball got to Emmanuel Yeboah, unmarked, who could not make a decent contact. In the second minute of injury time Basic shot from thirty metres, ball only just wide.

Game over. Lazio after five years managed to win a knockout match in Europe. The last time they did so was in 2018 against Dynamo Kyiv in the Europa League Round of 16.

They would now have to face AZ Alkmaar.

Who played for CFR Cluj

Scuffet, Manea (84' Braun), Kolinger, Burca, Camora;, Deac (78' Hoban), Cvek, Muhar, Krasniqi (84' Petrila), Malele (70' Birligea), Janga (84' Yeboah)

Substitutes: Gal, Balgradean, Tiru, Bordeianu, Fica

Manager: Petrescu

Who played for Lazio

Maximiano, Lazzari, Gila, Casale, Hysaj, Luis Alberto (76' Cataldi), Vecino, Basic, Romero (66' Cancellieri), Immobile, Felipe Anderson