Kozak gives Lazio a win

Simon Basten
Sep 17, 2023
2 min read

Season 2010-11

Game 3, Serie A

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence

Fiorentina Lazio 1-2

Lazio come from behind to win in Florence thanks to Ledesma and Kozak

Today was the third fixture in Serie A. After losing the first game to Sampdoria, Lazio had beaten Bologna at home.

The match

Lazio were the first to try to open the scoring in the 5th minute with Hernanes who tried a long distance shot that was easily saved by Sebastien Frey. Then Fiorentina attacked venomously and had a chance with Adem Ljajic who anticipated the Lazio defence on a Juan Manuel Vargas cross but put the ball wide. In the 18th minute Cristiano Zanetti to Lorenzo De Silvestri on the right, low pass to the centre, Cristian Ledesma did not control the ball which reached Ljajic who tried to turn around. The Lazio midfielder put a hand on his back and the Serb collapsed to the ground. The ref indicated a penalty. Lovely dive. Ljajic scored from the spot kick.

After a Alessi Cerci close range shot parried by Fernando Muslera, in the 22nd minute wonderful Hernanes-Stefano Mauri one-two, in came Mark Bresciano who shot to the stars. Three minutes later a splendid Mauri lob which had beaten the keeper was saved on the line by De Silvestri.

The deserved equaliser came in the 32nd minute. Mauri crossed from the by-line, Ledesma tried a shot, deflection off Manuel Pasqual and it was 1-1. Towards the end of the first half Lazio had two further chances with Bresciano and Tommaso Rocchi, both too high.

The second half was a lot slower than the first as Cristian Brocchi came on for Bresciano and Marco Marchionni for Cerci. In the 58th minute Vargas with a splendid shot hit the outside of the net but then the Biancocelesti realised that Fiorentina had no more gas in the tank and went for a winner. It arrived in the 67th minute. Mauri again from the left gave a good ball to Hernanes who tried a shot which was parried by Frey, in came Libor Kozak, who had taken Rocchi's place in the 60th minute, and he tapped the ball in for his first goal in Serie A.

Fiorentina’s reaction was all in a chance for Khouma el Babacar in the 72nd minute when he found himself in the right place off a De Silvestri cross but his shot was central and easily saved by Muslera.

Excellent three points for Lazio.

Who played for Fiorentina

Frey, De Silvestri, Kroldrup, Gamberini, Pasqual, Montolivo, Zanetti; Cerci (46' Marchionni), Ljajic (68' Babacar), Vargas, Gilardino

Substitutes: Boruc, Comotto, Santana, Donadel, Felipe

Manager: Mihajlovic

Who played for Lazio

Muslera, Lichtsteiner, Biava, Dias, Radu, Mauri (86’ Gonzalez), Matuzalem, Ledesma, Bresciano (46’ Brocchi), Hernanes, Rocchi (60’ Kozak)