Cynical Lazio

Simon Basten

Oct 11, 2022

4 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

2022-23 Season

Game 9, Serie A

Monday, October 10, 2022

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Florence, Stadio Artemio Franchi

Fiorentina Lazio 0-4

A very cynical Lazio brought home the three points. Fiorentina had played well but had missed a lot of chances.

The teams

Maurizio Sarri was forced to drop Danilo Cataldi due to a last minute injury, so in came Marcos Antonio and as a consequence also Mattias Vecino. Fiorentina decided on playing with Jonathan Ikoné, Luka Jovic and Christian Kouamé up front.

The match

Lazio started very well and had a chance in the 3rd minute. Long pass from Ivan Provedel to Felipe Anderson in the box. Felipetto was anticipated by Cristiano Biraghi who headed the ball over Pietro Terracciano. The Fiorentina goalkeeper managed to get back and avoided an incredible own goal.

A minute later it was Fiorentina’s turn. Kouamé to Jovic in the centre of the penalty box. His immediate shot was straight into the hands of Ivan Provedel who fumbled. Adam Marusic was quicker than Ikonè and cleared. In the 6th minute a good shot from Ikonè from outside the box was saved well by Provedel.

Fiorentina play, Lazio score

Lazio were in a bit of trouble but then came a corner in the 11th minute. No Cataldi and no Luis Alberto so it was Mattia Zaccagni who was taking the corners that night. Cross to the front post and Matias Vecino back-headed the ball into the net. 1-0 for Lazio.

Fiorentina reacted and in the 21st minute Ikoné’s shot was just slightly wide. Two minutes later great defensive play by Patric who swept away a very dangerous ball sent into the box by Giacomo Bonaventura.

Just as Fiorentina were increasing the pressure on Lazio's defence, the Biancocelesti scored. Ciro Immobile on the far right inside the penalty box passed the ball to Sergej Milinkovic-Savic who crossed in for Zaccagni. His delicate header was enough to change the direction of the ball just that much to beat Terracciano. 2-0 for Lazio.

Fiorentina were in shock. They had definitely played better than Lazio and had had several chances but they were two goals down. Lazio, who were clearly in difficulty and finding it very hard to play their usual game, especially coming out from the back, were cynically ahead.

In the last minute of the first half Kouamé passed the ball to Rolando Mandragora in the corner of the penalty box on the left. His shot was deflected by Patric and hit the woodwork. On the ensuing corner Biraghi sent his cross on the far post, Jovic headed the ball in the air, Luca Martinez Quarta got there first and headed the ball towards Lazio’s goal. Provedel made a sensational save.

Second half

Vincenzo Italiano gave Lazio a huge helping hand when he decided to substitute Ikoné with Nico Gonzalez in the interval. Ikoné and Kouamé had been thorns in the Lazio side for the entire first half.

As if to prove this point, in the 46th minute an enormous chance for Fiorentina. Biraghi passed the ball to Kuoamé on the left. The Ivory Coast winger ran past Manuel Lazzari and was confronted on the edge of the box by Patric and Provedel, who however was way too far out. Kuoamè managed to send the ball to the centre, Alessio Romagnoli tried to clear it but the ball was magically set up for Gonzalez who had an open goal opportunity. He missed the ball and Lazio cleared.

Lazio had a chance to make it three in the 55th minute. Big hoof from Provedel from Lazio’s half to the Fiorentina box. Milinkovic-Savic got to the ball first and headed it towards Immobile who whacked it onto the crossbar.

In the 58th minute Nikola Milenkovic and Antonin Barak substituted Sofyan Amrabat and Igor and three minutes later Luis Alberto came in for Marcos Antonio.

Fiorentina were getting tired and time was running out for them to re-open the game. Lazio relied on the counter attack but it was not easy. In the 67th minute Jovic had an opportunity but his shot from inside the box was too high. Italiano completed the self-destruction of his team in the 71st minute by substituting Kouamé and Bonaventura with Riccardo Saponara and Youssef Maleh. Elseid Hysaj took Marusic’s place in the 72nd minute. Adam had a nasty head clash with Gonzalez a quarter of an hour earlier and was in severe pain. Seven minutes later Pedro and Matteo Cancellieri replaced Felipe Anderson and Zaccagni.

Lazio close the match

A big chance for Lazio in the 80th minute. Luis Alberto charged off on the counter attack and could pass it to either Immobile or Cancellieri, but he opted for a shot that went straight to the keeper. He would not miss in the 86th minute. Romagnoli cleared the ball from his half and it landed on the left side of the penalty box. Pedro went for it, promptly passed the ball to Immobile, simple pass to Luis Alberto and it's 3-0.

In the 89th minute Saponara sent the ball into the box on the right of Fiorentina’s attack. Gonzalez got past Hysaj and lobbed the ball over Provedel. Wide, just.

In the first minute of injury time, Luis Alberto for Milinkovic-Savic in the box, back-heeled to Immobile who scored Lazio’s fourth goal. Game over.

It was Immobile’s 188th goal in Serie A. He is now tied in ninth place in the list of players with most goals in Serie A together with Beppe Signori, Alessandro Del Piero and Alberto Gilardino. Kurt Hamrin, in 8th place is just two goals away. The leading Serie A scorer is Silvio Piola with 274 goals.

Who played for Fiorentina

Terracciano, Dodò, Quarta, Igor (59' Milenkovic), Biraghi, Bonaventura (72' Maleh), Amrabat (59' Barak), Mandragora, Ikoné (46' Gonzalez), Jovic, Kouamè (72' Saponara)

Substitutes: Gollini, Cerofolini, Ranieri, Venuti, Terzic, Bianco, Zurkowski, Duncan, Cabral

Manager: Italiano

Who played for Lazio

Provedel, Lazzari, Patric, Romagnoli, Marusic (72' Hysaj), Milinkovic-Savic, Marcos Antonio (62' Luis Alberto), Vecino, Felipe Anderson (79' Pedro), Immobile, Zaccagni (79' Cancellieri)