Game 24, Serie A
Saturday, February 5, 2022
Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence
Fiorentina Lazio 0-3
Three goals after the break sweep away the Viola
Lazio were currently joint 7th, with today's opponents Fiorentina, on 36 points. The Biancocelesti had started well with two wins but then been inconsistent. Some good wins (including the derby 3-2, Inter 3-1 at home) were balanced by bad defeats (including Bologna 0-3, Verona 1-4, Napoli 0-4, all away). Lazio had won 10, drawn 6 and lost 7.
Fiorentina were currently 7th with Lazio on 36 points. The Viola had won 11, drawn 3 and lost 9 (including Lazio 0-1). All or nothing usually for Fiorentina so far with some big wins (Cagliari 3-0, Spezia 3-0, Milan 4-3, Salernitana 4-0, Genoa 6-0) but also some heavy defeats (Udinese 0-4 at home, Torino 0-4 away).
There was an important European slot clash today in Florence.
The match
A mild Saturday evening attracted about 30,000 to the Franchi, possibly one of the worst stadiums in Italy to watch a football match, at least from the more popular ends.
Fiorentina were without defender Álvaro Odriozola who was suspended while Lucas Torreira and Lucas Quarta Gonzalez were just back from South-American trips plus they were still getting over Dušan Vlahovic' departure to hated Juventus.
Lazio had an absence too as central defender Francesco Acerbi was unavailable.
The first quarter of an hour saw both sides evaluating each other without any real goal scoring chances.
The first came in the 20th minute and it was for the Viola. Cristiano Biraghi put a perfect cross in from the left and Arthur Cabral headed the ball down low but Thomas Strakosha did well to react quickly and parry it away.
In the 27th minute Torreira tried an ambitious volley from outside the area but it went over the bar.
Lazio gradually grew into the game. In the 34th minute on a counterattack Luis Alberto arrived at the edge of the box and slid the ball sideways to Ciro Immobile who ran into the area but his low shot was too central and Pietro Terraciano saved.
In the 36th minute the Biancocelesti had a double chance. First Pedro on the right side of the area, set up by Luis Alberto, blasted a strike which Terraciano parried and then on the rebound Mattia Zaccagni hammered the ball over the bar from a favourable position.
The first half ended 0-0. Fiorentina had started better but Lazio had finished strongly.
In the second half Lazio continued where they had left off and in the 52nd minute took the lead. Zaccagni on the left wing, with the outside of his foot, put a superb ball straight across the box into the front post where Sergej Milinkovic-Savic got between the defenders and put the ball behind Terraciano. Fiorentina 0 Lazio 1.
In the 59th minute both sides made replacements; Fiorentina took off Alfred Duncan and José Callejon for Gaetano Castrovilli and Nicolás González while Lazio substituted Lucas Leiva with Danilo Cataldi and Pedro with Felipe Anderson.
A controversial moment came in the 64th minute. Luiz Felipe was judged to have obstructed Castrovilli just inside the box on the left. Daniele Orsato pointed to the penalty spot but after checking it on the sideline screen he changed his mind. He made the right decision as the future Lazio midfielder had run into the Lazio defender.
In the 68th minute Albanian Elseid Hysaj came on for Manuel Lazzari at full-back.
A minute later Lazio made it two. In the 69th minute, on a long ball out of Lazio's defence, a Nikola Milenkovic mistake in midfield gave Immobile an open road towards goal, he sprinted forward for about thirty metres and just inside the area curled a low shot into the right-hand corner. Fiorentina 0 Lazio 2.
Lazio were now cruising. In the 76th minute the Gigliati tried to increase their fire power by bringing on Krzysztof Piątek for Cabral while Lazio took off Luis Alberto and brought on a more defensive midfielder Toma Basic.
Five minutes later the game was practically over. Zaccagni put Immobile through on goal again, the striker surged forward again, went round the keeper on the left and shot with his left, the ball was probably going in but was then helped on its way by a desperate lunge by Biraghi. Fiorentina 0 Lazio 3.
In the 85th minute Fiorentina were reduced to ten men when Uruguayan midfielder Torreira got his marching orders for a second yellow card.
There was still time for one last substitution for the hosts as Moroccan Sofyan Amrabat came on for Riccardo Sottil and one last opportunity for Lazio. In the 88th minute Felipe Anderson teed up Basic in front of goal but Terraciano saved and on the rebound the Croatian midfielder fired wide. Final score Fiorentina 0 Lazio 3.
An excellent away win for Lazio. Their superior quality with Luis Alberto and Zaccagni as assist men and Milinkovic-Savic and Immobile as the finishers had annihilated Fiorentina.
Lazio were now joint 6th with Roma on 39 points. Fiorentina slipped down to 8th on 36 points.
Who played for Fiorentina
Terracciano, Venuti, Nastasic, Milenkovic, Biraghi, Bonaventura (76' Ikonè), Torreira, Duncan (59' Castrovilli), Callejon (59' Gonzalez), Cabral (76' Piatek), Sottil (88' Amrabat)
Substitutes: Dragowski, Martinez Quarta, Igor, Saponara, Maleh, Terzic, Kokorin
Manager: Italiano
Who played for Lazio
Strakosha, Lazzari (68' Hysaj), Luiz Felipe, Patric, Marusic, Milinkovic-Savic, Leiva (59' Cataldi), Luis Alberto (76' Basic), Pedro (59' F. Anderson), Immobile, Zaccagni
Manager: Sarri
Referee: Orsato
Goals: 52' Milinkovic-Savic, 70' Immobile, 81' Biraghi (og)
Red Card: 85' Torreira (F)
Sources
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