Pedro hands over the scudetto to Napoli

Season 2024-25

Game 37, Serie A

Sunday May 18, 2025

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Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan

Inter Lazio 2-2

Lazio manage to draw with a Pedro brace destroying Inter’s scudetto hopes, but the Biancocelesti are virtually out of the Champions League race.

Official SS Lazio photo

The team

Marco Baroni decided to put Matias Vecino at midfield, to try and contrast the Inter attack, and Boulaye Dia to give Taty Castellanos a hand up front. Finally Nuno Tavares was back in the team.

It was the Biancocelesti's last opportunity to reach fourth place. The table read Lazio and Juve on 64 points, Roma on 63, Bologna on 62, Milan 60, Fiorentina 59. All fighting for a European qualification.

Source Lazio Wiki

First half

A rather blocked game from both sides. Not that they did not try, but both teams were more concentrated on defending and trying to be dangerous on the break than actually organising attacks.

The first real opportunity came in the 30th minute when Federico Di Marco picked up a Marcus Thuram cross and tried to score like he had done at the Olimpico, but this time Christos Mandas was ready to save. Big chance for Lazio in the 42nd minute. Dia for Gustav Isaksen all alone in front of Yann Sommer but his shot was saved by the Swiss keeper.

In injury time corner for Inter. Hakan Calhanoglu crossed, Dimarco tried a volley which was walled by Alessio Romagnoli, ball to Yann Bisseck who had the time to control it and beat Mandas.

Napoli were still level, 0-0 in Parma, Inter were now ahead in the scudetto race.

Second half

Lazio started the second half well and were very aggressive. In the 53rd minute Pedro came on for Isaksen and a few minutes later Joaquín Correa replaced Mehdi Taremi.

Inter seemed content to control the match leaving Lazio the initiative. But in the 64th minute Nuno Tavares was forced off yet again, in came Elseid Hysaj. For Inter, Simone Inzaghi took off Dimarco and sent in Carlos Augusto.

In the 69th minute Taty Castellanos to Dia who in front of Sommer tried a shot but the ball went wide. Three minutes later, Hysaj from the byline passed back to Pedro who left the ball for Matteo Guendouzi. The Frenchman passed to Adam Marusic who tried a shot, the ball arrived to Vecino in front of Sommer, he fumbled but managed to pass back to Pedro who scored. Initially the linesman raised the flag for an improbable Vecino offside. He was not (by miles) and the goal was valid.

Napoli back top.

Inter were in severe physical trouble, but they managed to score again. Calhanoglu took a free kick, ball in the box, Thuram grabbed Marusic and put him down leaving space for Denzel Dumfries who headed the ball past Mandas. The goal should not have been allowed.

Lazio threw caution to the wind and attacked. In the 86th minute long cross from Pedro in the box, Castellanos harpooned the ball and tried to lob it past Bisseck who used his elbow to block the opportunity. Chiffi gestured to play on but was called by the VAR. He went to check. A clear handball, penalty for Lazio. Pedro, like he had done a few weeks back again in Milan, took the spotkick and it was 2-2.

Inter were now desperate. In came Marko Arnautovic, Piotr Zielinski and Nicola Zalewski for Alessandro Bastoni, Calhanoglu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Seven minutes of added time were given. In the 94th minute Dumfries crossed from the right, Francesco Acerbi headed to Arnautovic who pushed away Alessio Romagnoli but could not get a decent contact and Mandas saved. In the 96th minute Castellanos on the counterattack but his shot was too weak. In the 98th minute Zalewski crossed, Carlos Augusto went for the header, Arnautovic scored in front of the goal but he was in offside. In the 100th minute Francesco Acerbi had the last chance but his shot off a Nicolò Barella cross went wide.

Napoli now had a match point to win the scudetto. Lazio needed to win in the last game against Lecce to at least reach a Conference League qualification.

Who played for Inter

Sommer, Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni (90'+1' Zalewski), Dumfries, Barella, Chalanoglu (90'+1' Zielinki), Mkhitaryan (90'+1' Arnautovic), Dimarco (68' Zalewski); Thuram, Taremi (56' Correa)Substitutes: Di Gennaro, Martinez, De Vrij, Asllani, Pavard, Carlos Augusto, Darmian, Topalovic

Manager: S. Inzaghi

Who played for Lazio

Mandas, Marusic, Gila (90+7’ Gigot), Romagnoli, Nuno Tavares (65’ Hysaj), Rovella, Guendouzi, Isaksen (53’ Pedro), Vecino, Dia, Castellanos

Substitutes: Provedel, Furlanetto, Provstgaard, Belehyane, Dele-Bashiru, Tchaouna, Noslin

Manager: Baroni

Referee: Chiffi

Goals: 45+2’ Bisseck, 72’ Pedro, 79’ Dumfries, 90’ Pedro (pen)

Booked: Chalanoglu (I), Guendouzi (L), Gila (L), Romagnoli (L)