Runners-up in Serie A !!

Dag Jenkins
Jun 4, 2023
4 min read

Updated: Jun 17

2022-23 season

Game 38

June 4, 2023

Stadio Castellani, Empoli

Empoli-Lazio 0-2

With the win at Empoli, the Biancocelesti secure second place and together with the qualification for the Super Coppa and Champions League, reach their third seasonal objective.

The season had gone well in Serie A for Lazio who were currently 2nd on 71 points (-16 on Napoli but +2 on 3rd placed Inter). Lazio had won 21 (including Milan 4-0, Juventus 2-1 at home, Fiorentina 4-0, Napoli 1-0 away plus both derbies 1-0), drawn 8 and lost 8. Their most recent game was a 3-2 home win against Cremonese (on an emotional day due to the 10th anniversary celebration of the historic Coppa Italia win over Roma and also the last ever game by Stefan Radu at the Olimpico).

Empoli had avoided relegation once again this season. They were 14th on 43 points (+12 on B zone) so had been without any worries for a while. They had won 10 (including Inter 1-0 away and Juventus 4-1 at home), drawn 13 (including Lazio 2-2 and Milan 0-0 away) and lost 14.

Lazio were favourites today. The Romans wanted to confirm their 2nd place with a win (3rd placed Inter were two points behind and played Torino away). The hosts however were unbeaten in five games and in their last home game had trounced Juventus 4-1.

The match

A Saturday evening 9 p.m kick off brought just under 12,000 spectators to the Castellani, possibly the worst stadium in Serie A. At least 4,000 had come up from Rome.

It was another return for Maurizio Sarri who had spent three years with the Tuscan club (2012-15).

Inter had already played at 6.30 p.m and won 1-0 in Turin so Lazio now knew only a win would give them the prestigious 2nd place behind Napoli.

Lazio were without defender Adam Marušić while Empoli were missing midfielders Răzvan Marin, Nedim Bajrami and Tommaso Baldanzi.

Empoli successfully managed to limit Lazio for long periods of the first half. They defended well but never threatened on the break.

Lazio had difficulties in the first half hour especially. They only had two chances, a Luis Alberto effort saved by Guglielmo Vicario after not even two minutes and then Pedro had an opportunity on 23 minutes but his curling shot was comfortably blocked by the keeper from Friuli.

After the 30th minute Empoli's frenetic pressing slowed down slightly and Lazio started to create more danger. Vicario denied a Ciro Immobile header, a Patric shot from a clever Luis Alberto freekick and again an Immobile cross goal chip with the tip of his fingers. The first half ended with seven shots on target to nil but no breakthrough yet.

The second half started in a similar fashion. Luis Alberto teed up Immobile in the area but Sebastian Walukiewicz tackled into corner. The Spanish magician took the corner well and Alessio Romagnoli rose up on the front post and headed home, 48th minute and 0-1.

The game then went a bit quiet as Lazio controlled the situation. In the 57th minute came the first of many substitutions, Liam Henderson for Alberto Grassi. Lazio responded in the 63rd replacing Pedro with Mattia Zaccagni.

In the 65th minute Zaccagni, set up by Immobile on the left side of the area, had his low effort saved by Vicario.

A few minutes later Lazio appealed for a penalty for Elseid Hysaj being pulled down by Liberato Cacace but the referee claimed the foul had started just outside the box.

Sarri then introduced fresh legs, Nicolò Casale for Romagnoli (71') and Danilo Cataldi for Matías Vecino (72'). Empoli went for changes too, Nicolas Haas for Filippo Bandinelli (75') and former Roma, Mattia Destro for Roberto Piccoli (75').

In the 81st minute Immobile tried his luck from the edge of the box but hit it too centrally and Vicario blocked low.

In the 83rd minute the hosts gave reserve keeper Samir Ujkani an end of season satisfaction as he came on for future Tottenham keeper Vicario. A minute later Uruguayan forward Martín Satriano came on for midfielder Jacopo Fazzini.

Empoli did not want to bid farewell to their fans with a defeat and stepped up a gear. They had a penalty appeal for a Casale challenge on Destro waved away and then threatened with a superb Nicolò Cambiaghi long range volley but Ivan Provedel flew to his left and parried.

Not even twenty seconds later the Empoli forward went from almost hero to villain as he got himself sent off for a second yellow in the 89th minute.

In the second minute of the four of added time Lazio closed the game. A prolonged Zaccagni-Immobile move was finished off brilliantly by Luis Alberto with a curling shot from the edge of the box into the left corner, 0-2.

There was only time left for young 20-year-old midfielder Marco Bertini to come on for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic for the last sixty seconds. Final score: Empoli 0 Lazio 2.

Lazio therefore clinched 2nd place ahead of Inter. It was Lazio's first runners-up position since 1998-99 and the first with an Italian manager. They also had the second-best defence in the league and had kept 21 clean sheets. The top scorer was Ciro Immobile with 14 goals (12 in A) while goalkeeper Ivan Provedel was voted best Serie A keeper of the season.

A second-place finish and a Champions League campaign to look forward to, with one of the best coaches around the future looked bright for Lazio.

Empoli finished 14th on 43 points. The top scorer was Cambiaghi with 7 goals (6 in A)

The Scudetto was won by Napoli under Luciano Spalletti while Serie B was next stop for Sampdoria, Cremonese and Spezia (after playoff with Verona 1-3). Inter won the Coppa Italia (Fiorentina 2-1) and the Supercoppa (Milan 3-0) but lost the Champions League final (Manchester City 0-1).

Who played for Empoli

Vicario (83' Ujkani), Stojanovic, Walukiewicz, Luperto, Cacace, Grassi (57' Henderson), Bandinelli (75' Haas), Akpa Akpro, Fazzini (84' Satriano), Cambiaghi, Piccoli (75' Destro)

Substitutes: Perisan, Pjaca, Tonelli, Renzi, Ismajli, Vignato, Parisi

Manager: Zanetti

Who played for Lazio

Provedel, Hysaj, Patric, Romagnoli (71' Casale), Pellegrini, Milinkovic-Savic (90+3 Bertini), Vecino (72' Cataldi), Luis Alberto, Felipe Anderson, Immobile, Pedro (63' Zaccagni)