June 3, 2023: Empoli-Lazio 0-2

Dag Jenkins
4 days ago
10 min read

Runners-up in Serie A !!

With the win at Empoli, the Biancocelesti secure second place and, together with the qualification for the Supercoppa and Champions League, reach their third seasonal objective.

Player of the day: Luca Pellegrini

The season so far

Lazio had finished 5th the previous season in Maurizio Sarri's first year in charge. This brought a Europa League qualification. The highlights were 3-2 wins over Roma, Sassuolo 6-1 at home and Fiorentina 3-0 away. The top scorer was Ciro Immobile with 32 goals (27 in A).

This season Sarri stayed on. The main new players were: keepers Luís Maximiano (Granada) and Ivan Provedel, defenders Nicolò Casale (Verona), Mario Gila (Real Madrid Castilla) and Alessio Romagnoli (Milan-free agent), midfielders Marcos Antonio (Shakhtar Donetsk), Matías Vecino (free agent) plus forward Matteo Cancellieri (Verona - on loan with clause to buy).

Leaving were: keepers Thomas Strakosha (Brentford), Pepe Reina (by mutual agreement), defender Francesco Acerbi (Inter - on loan with clause to buy), Luiz Felipe (end of contract), midfielders Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro (Empoli - on loan) and with great sadness Lucas Leiva (Gremio-end of contract).

The season had gone well in Serie A for Lazio who were currently 2nd on 71 points (-16 on Napoli but +2 on 3rd placed Inter). Lazio had won 21 (including Milan 4-0, Juventus 2-1 at home, Fiorentina 4-0, Napoli 1-0 away plus both derbies 1-0), drawn 8 and lost 8. Their most recent game was a 3-2 home win against Cremonese (on an emotional day due to the 10th anniversary celebration of the historic Coppa Italia win over Roma and also the last ever game by Stefan Radu at the Olimpico).

In the Europa League Lazio had gone out in the group stage, after 2 wins (Feyenoord 4-2 and Midtjylland 2-1 both at home), 2 draws (Sturm Graz 0-0 away and 2-2 at home) and 2 defeats (Midtjylland 1-5 and Feyenoord 0-1 both away). They finished 3rd.

This meant they were demoted to the Conference League where they beat CFR Cluj 1-0 but then lost 2-4 to AZ Alkmaar, both on aggregate.

In the Coppa Italia Lazio had been eliminated in the quarter-finals by Juventus 0-1 in Turin. Lazio had previously beaten Bologna 1-0 at home.

Empoli had finished 14th the previous season under Aurelio Andreazzoli. The Azzurri had lost 1-3 at home to Lazio in the league opener and drawn 3-3 in Rome. The highlights of the season for the Tuscans were away wins at Juventus and Napoli both 1-0 and a 2-1 home derby win against Fiorentina. The top scorer was Andrea Pinamonti with 13 league goals.

This season the manager was Paolo Zanetti. He had once been an Empoli player (2003-06). The main new signings were: defenders Koni De Winter (Juventus - on loan), Tyronne Ebuehi (Benfica B, via Venezia), Liberato Cacace (Sint-Truiden) and Sebastian Walukiewicz (Cagliari), midfielders Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro (Lazio - on loan), Alberto Grassi (Parma via Cagliari), and Răzvan Marin (Cagliari) plus forwards Nicolò Cambiaghi (Atalanta - on loan via Pordenone), Mattia Destro (Genoa), Sam Lammers (Atalanta - on loan via Eintracht Frankfurt but he then joined Sampdoria on loan in January), Marko Pjaca (Juventus on loan via Torino) and Marco Satriano (Inter - on loan via Brest). In January they added forward Roberto Piccoli (Atalanta - on loan via Verona).

Leaving Empoli were: defenders Riccardo Marchizza (Sassuolo - end of loan), Simone Romagnoli (Parma) and Mattia Viti (Nice) midfielders Kristjan Asllani (Inter), Marco Benassi (Fiorentina - end of loan), Federico Di Francesco (SPAL - end of loan then Lecce), Samuele Ricci (Torino), Leo Štulac (Palermo), Valerio Verre (Sampdoria - end of loan) and Szymon Żurlowski (Fiorentina - end of loan) plus forwards Patrick Cutrone (Wolverhampton - end of loan then Como), Andrea La Mantia (SPAL)and Andrea Pinamonti (Inter - end of loan then Sassuolo).

So a lot of changes for the Azzurri but they had avoided relegation again. They were 14th on 43 points (+12 on B zone) so had been without any worries for a while. They had won 10 (including Inter 1-0 away and Juventus 4-1 at home), drawn 13 (including Lazio 2-2 and Milan 0-0 away) and lost 14.

In the Coppa Italia they had been eliminated immediately by SPAL 1-2 (a.e. t) at home in August.

Lazio were favourites today. The Romans wanted to confirm their 2nd place with a win (3rd placed Inter were two points behind and played Torino away). The hosts however were unbeaten in five games and in their last home game had trounced Juventus 4-1.

The match: Saturday, June 3, 2023, Stadio Carlo Castellani, Empoli

A Saturday evening 9 p.m kick off brought just under 12,000 spectators to the Castellani, possibly the worst stadium in Serie A. At least 4,000 had come up from Rome.

It was another return for Maurizio Sarri who had spent three years with the Tuscan club (2012-15).

Inter had already played at 6.30 p.m and won 1-0 in Turin so Lazio now knew only a win would give them the prestigious 2nd place behind Napoli.

Lazio were without defender Adam Marušić while Empoli were missing midfielders Răzvan Marin, Nedim Bajrami and Tommaso Baldanzi.

Empoli successfully managed to limit Lazio for long periods of the first half. They defended well but never threatened on the break.

Lazio had difficulties in the first half hour especially. They only had two chances, a Luis Alberto effort saved by Guglielmo Vicario after not even two minutes and then Pedro had an opportunity on 23 minutes but his curling shot was comfortably blocked by the keeper from Friuli.

After the 30th minute Empoli's frenetic pressing slowed down slightly and Lazio started to create more danger. Vicario denied a Ciro Immobile header, a Patric shot from a clever Luis Alberto freekick and again an Immobile cross goal chip with the tip of his fingers. The first half ended with seven shots on target to nil but no breakthrough yet.

The second half started in a similar fashion. Luis Alberto teed up Immobile in the area but Sebastian Walukiewicz tackled into corner. The Spanish magician took the corner well and Alessio Romagnoli rose up on the front post and headed home, 48th minute and 0-1.

The game then went a bit quiet as Lazio controlled the situation. In the 57th minute came the first of many substitutions, Liam Henderson for Alberto Grassi. Lazio responded in the 63rd replacing Pedro with Mattia Zaccagni.

In the 65th minute Zaccagni, set up by Immobile on the left side of the area, had his low effort saved by Vicario.

A few minutes later Lazio appealed for a penalty for Elseid Hysaj being pulled down by Liberato Cacace but the referee claimed the foul had started just outside the box.

Sarri then introduced fresh legs, Nicolò Casale for Romagnoli (71') and Danilo Cataldi for Matías Vecino (72'). Empoli went for changes too, Nicolas Haas for Filippo Bandinelli (75') and former Roma, Mattia Destro for Roberto Piccoli (75').

In the 81st minute Immobile tried his luck from the edge of the box but hit it too centrally and Vicario blocked low.

In the 83rd minute the hosts gave reserve keeper Samir Ujkani an end of season satisfaction as he came on for future Tottenham keeper Vicario. A minute later Uruguayan forward Martín Satriano came on for midfielder Jacopo Fazzini.

Empoli did not want to bid farewell to their fans with a defeat and stepped up a gear. They had a penalty appeal for a Casale challenge on Destro waved away and then threatened with a superb Nicolò Cambiaghi long range volley but Ivan Provedel flew to his left and parried.

Not even twenty seconds later the Empoli forward went from almost hero to villain as he got himself sent off for a second yellow in the 89th minute.

In the second minute of the four of added time Lazio closed the game. A prolonged Zaccagni-Immobile move was finished off brilliantly by Luis Alberto with a curling shot from the edge of the box into the left corner, 0-2.

There was only time left for young 20-year-old midfielder Marco Bertini to come on for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic for the last sixty seconds. Final score: Empoli 0 Lazio 2.

Lazio therefore clinched 2nd place ahead of Inter. It was Lazio's first runners-up position since 1998-99 and the first with an Italian manager. They also had the second-best defence in the league and had kept 21 clean sheets. The top scorer was Ciro Immobile with 14 goals (12 in A) while goalkeeper Ivan Provedel was voted best Serie A keeper of the season.

A second-place finish and a Champions League campaign to look forward to, with one of the best coaches around the future looked bright for Lazio.

Empoli finished 14th on 43 points. The top scorer was Cambiaghi with 7 goals (6 in A)

The Scudetto was won by Napoli under Luciano Spalletti while Serie B was next stop for Sampdoria, Cremonese and Spezia (after playoff with Verona 1-3). Inter won the Coppa Italia (Fiorentina 2-1) and the Supercoppa (Milan 3-0) but lost the Champions League final (Manchester City 0-1).

Who played for Empoli

Vicario (83' Ujkani), Stojanovic, Walukiewicz, Luperto, Cacace, Grassi (57' Henderson), Bandinelli (75' Haas), Akpa Akpro, Fazzini (84' Satriano), Cambiaghi, Piccoli (75' Destro)

Substitutes: Perisan, Pjaca, Tonelli, Renzi, Ismajli, Vignato, Parisi

Manager: Zanetti

Who played for Lazio

Provedel, Hysaj, Patric, Romagnoli (71' Casale), Pellegrini, Milinkovic-Savic (90+3 Bertini), Vecino (72' Cataldi), Luis Alberto, Felipe Anderson, Immobile, Pedro (63' Zaccagni)

Substitutes: Maximiano, Adamonis, Lazzari, Radu, Gila, Basic, Marcos Antonio, Cancellieri, Gonzalez

Manager: Sarri (suspended so Martusciello on bench)

Referee: Massimi

Goals: 48' Romagnoli, 90+2 Luis Alberto

Red Card: 89' Cambiaghi

What happened next

With second place, Lazio's highest finish since 2000, it was expected and hoped that owner Claudio Lotito would strengthen the squad to face the Champions League and aim even higher in Serie A. Alas it was the umpteenth wasted opportunity by Lotito. A man obviously using Lazio for personal gain rather than for any ambition or love for the club. After almost twenty years his little game no longer fooled anyone.

The summer market brought reserve goalkeeper Christos Mandas, midfielders Mattéo Guendouzi, Daichi Kamada and Nicoló Rovella plus forwards Valentin Castellanos and Gustav Isaksen. Rovella was decent but young and out of the others only Guendouzi performed well consistently..

Lazio also arguably lost their best player Sergej Milinkovic-Savic while Stefan Radu retired (after 427 games for Lazio).

By March 11 Sarri had resigned and Lazio finished 7th in Serie A.

Lazio had a decent Champions League campaign, reaching the last 16 and even beating Bayern Munich 1-0 at home but then losing 1-3 on aggregate.

Lazio however had not made that step up in quality to build on the positive 2022-23 season.

Empoli then got relegated in 2024-25 and are currently in Serie B.

Let's talk about Luca Pellegrini

Luca Pellegrini was born in Rome, on March 7, 1999.

His first clubs as a kid were Cinecittà Bettini and N.Tor Tre Teste.

In 2011, despite being a Lazio fan, he joined the Roma youth setup. In 2016 he won the Primavera Scudetto with the Giallorossi. Already at this stage of his career he suffered two serious injuries (ACL and rotula). Towards the end of the 2017-18 season, he was added to the Roma first team squad.

In 2018-19 he made his debut for Roma, under manager Eusebio Di Francesco. He came on in the home game against Frosinone on September 26 and even provided an assist in a 4-0 win. He made 4 league appearances that season and 2 in the Champions League but in January was sent out on loan to Cagliari. Roma eventually finished 6th in A.

At Cagliari he stayed a season and a half. In the first six months he played 12 league games and one in Coppa Italia under Rolando Maran and the Rossoblu finished 15th. The following season he played 24 league games, first under Maran (1-26) and then Walter Zenga and Cagliari finished 14th. In the meantime, however, Roma had sold him to Juventus.

In 2020-21 he joined Genoa on loan. In Liguria he found former manager Maran for the first 13 fixtures and then Davide Ballardini. Pellegrini played 11 league games and 1 in Coppa Italia. The Grifoni finished 11th. His teammates included Lazio connections: Goran Pandev (2004-10), Valon Behrami (2005-2008), Milan Badelj (2018-19) and Nicolò Rovella (2023-).

In 2021-22 he joined his parent club Juventus. He played 18 league games, 2 in Coppa Italia and 1 in the Champions League. The manager was Max Allegri and the Bianconeri finished 4th (CL) and were runners-up in the Coppa Italia (Inter 2-4 a.e.t) and the Supercoppa (Inter 1-2 a.e.t).

In 2022 Pellegrini joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan. He stayed until January 2023, playing 9 league games, 1 in the German Cup and 4 in the Champions League. The manager was Oliver Glasner (later successful with Crystal Palace) and "Die Adler" (also Eagles) eventually finished 7th. His teammates included future Lazio, Daichi Kamada (2023-24).

In January 2023 Pellegrini returned to Rome and this time to his favourite side of the Tiber, Lazio. In 2023-24 he played 7 league games and 1 in the Conference League, under Maurizio Sarri and Lazio finished 2nd. Lazio won both derbies 1-0.

In 2023-24 he played 19 league games with 1 goal (Udinese), 2 games in Coppa Italia, 4 in Champions League plus 1 in the Supercoppa. The manager was first Sarri (1-28), then Giovanni Martusciello (29) and finally Igor Tudor (30-38) and Lazio finished 7th (EL).

In 2024-25 under Marco Baroni, he played 22 league games, 1 in Coppa Italia and 7 in Europa League. Lazio finished 7th in Serie A and reached the quarterfinals of Europa League (Bodo-Glimt on penalties) after a fantastic group phase where they topped the 36 teams.

In 2025-26 Sarri returned to Lazio and Pellegrini played 24 league games with one goal and 2 games in the Coppa Italia. Lazio finished 9th and reached the final of the national cup but were beaten by Inter.

Pellegrini has played at all age levels with the Italian national side: U-16s (16 games, 1 goal), U-17s (12 games), U-18s (3 games), U-19s (3 games), U-20s (7 games), U-21s (5 games). He also won one full Italy cap in 2020 under Roberto Mancini, coming on as a substitute in a friendly against Estonia in Florence.

Pellegrini is a left full-back. He is 1,78 and 72 kilos so not overly physical. He has a good left foot and cross and is possibly better going forward than defending. At Lazio his fortunes have been intertwined with those of Nuno Tavares, more physical and offensive but even weaker defending.

Pellegrini has so far played 90 games for Lazio but has yet to definitely conquer the left-back jersey. At Lazio he is one of the three lifelong Lazio fans alongside Danilo Cataldi and Alessio Romagnoli. A point in his favour.

Lazio Career

Season	Games (goals)	Serie A	Coppa Italia	Champions League	Europa League	Conference League	Super Coppa
2022-23	8	7	-	-	-	1
2023-24	26 (1)	19 (1)	2	4	-	-	1
2024-25	30	22	1	-	7	-	-
2025-26	26 (1)	23	2	-	-	-	-
Total	90 (2)	72 (2)	5	4	7	1	1