Lively game but goalless

Dag Jenkins
Apr 25, 2024
4 min read

Season 2003-04

Game 31, Serie A

Sunday, April 25, 2004

Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan

Inter-Lazio 0-0

Both sides could have won but Inter remain ahead in Champions League race

So far it had been a mixed bag in Serie A. Lazio had played 30 games, winning 15 (including Juventus 2-0 and Inter 2-1 at home), drawing 6 (including the most recent derby 1-1) and losing 9 (including the first derby to two late goals). Lazio were therefore on 51 points and were in joint 5th position with Parma. The top four qualified for the Champions League (Inter were 4th on 52 points).

In the Coppa Italia Lazio were in the final. In the first leg they had defeated Juventus 2-0 at home. The return game in Turin would not be until May 12. To get to the final the Biancocelesti had defeated Modena 3-0, Parma 3-1 and Milan 6-1 (on aggregate)!

Inter as mentioned were currently 4th, on 52 points so only one above Lazio. The Nerazzurri had won 15 (including Juventus 3-1 away and 3-2 at home), drawn 7 and lost 8 (including both derbies, 1-3 and 2-3 and Lazio 1-2 away). Inter however now came from five consecutive league wins.

With only four games to go today was a big match for the European places, Champions League and UEFA Cup. Inter with a one-point advantage could play for two results out of three but also had to watch out for Parma who played Reggina away.

The match

A crowd of almost 60,000 turned up on a sunny Liberation Day, a national holiday in Italy.

Lazio were missing midfielder Fabio Liverani while Inter were without goalkeeper Francesco Toldo who was however on the bench, defender Daniele Adani and forward Alvaro Recoba.

Inter went extremely close in the 4th minute with a formidable long range left footed strike by Dejan Stankovic that hit the left post.

Lazio survived the scare and started to attack. In the 10th minute Bernardo Corradi, teed up in front of Alberto Fontana by Jaap Stam, hit the crossbar. The move continued and Giuliano Giannichedda forced Fontana to slap the ball away from the top left corner.

In the 12th minute Corradi set up Claudio Lopez whose shot beat the keeper coming off his line but agonisingly trickled past the right post.

Inter were in difficulty in midfield and played mainly with long balls. In the 27th minute however Adriano hit a cracking long range shot which Angelo Peruzzi superbly palmed behind for a corner.

In the 32nd minute Sinisa Mihajlovic tried to score directly from a corner but Fontana was alert.

In the 38th minute Stankovic brought the ball down well in the area but his low shot was too central and Peruzzi blocked.

The first half ended goalless but Lazio would have been winning on points.

After two minutes of the second half Inter made their first change bringing on Turk Emre Belözoğlu for Spaniard Francisco Farinos.

The game was not as spectacular as in the first 45 minutes and in the 57th Obafemi Martins replaced a disappointing Christian Vieri who was even whistled by the home fans.

The next chance came in the 70th minute when an effort by Emre was tipped over the bar by Peruzzi.

Inter grew in confidence and in the 73rd minute Peruzzi was forced into another good save on a low Javier Zanetti shot and again on Adriano on the rebound.

In the 77th minute Lazio made their first substitution bringing on Simone Inzaghi for Claudio Lopez.

It was still Inter who pushed forward however and in the 78th minute Massimo Oddo produced a superb tackle to deny Martins and then walled a Kily Gonzalez shot. Brilliant defending.

In the 83rd minute Ousmane Dabo came on for former Milan player Demetrio Albertini.

A minute later Lazio had a huge chance to snatch the win. In the 84th minute Mihajlovic curled a powerful freekick round the wall but it came back off the crossbar with Fontana beaten.

In the 86th minute the Nerazzurri made their last substitution giving Giovanni Pasquale a few minutes in place of Gonzalez.

Inter then had a penalty appeal when Luciano Zauri lost his balance in the area and handballed. This however was before the days where players were supposed to defend with their arms tied behind their backs and the referee played on.

The last attempt was by former Lazio Stankovic but his powerful mid-height shot was central and Peruzzi saved comfortably. Final score: Inter 0 Lazio 0.

A goalless draw but far from boring. A half each, two woodworks for Lazio and one for Inter and a couple of excellent saves each by the keepers. With three games to go the point was probably more useful to Inter who kept their noses in front in the Champions League race.

The table now read Inter in 3rd place on 53 points, Lazio 52, Parma 52 (the Gialloblu drew 1-1 at Reggina).

Who played for Inter

Fontana, Cannavaro, Materazzi, Córdoba, Helveg, J.Zanetti, Farinós (47' Emre), Kily Gonzalez (86' Pasquale), Stankovic, Adriano, Vieri (57' Martins)

Substitutes: Toldo, Lamouchi, Cruz, Gamarra

Manager: Zaccheroni

Who played for Lazio

Peruzzi, Oddo, Stam, Mihajlovic, Favalli, Fiore, Albertini (83' Dabo), Zauri, Giannichedda, Corradi, C. Lopez (77' S.Inzaghi)