Europe is conquered

Simon Basten
May 16, 2024
3 min read

Season 2021-22

Game 37, Serie A

Monday, May 16, 2022

Allianz Stadium, Turin

Juventus Lazio 2-2

Lazio draw with Juventus and qualify for the Europa League

The Biancocelesti were currently fifth. The Champions League bus had long gone, but there was still a concrete chance to qualify for the Europa League. Lazio were three points ahead of Atalanta who had already played their game. One point was all the Biancocelesti needed to allow them to get to the group phase directly.

The match

With Ciro Immobile injured, Maurizio Sarri put Jovane Cabral in the centre of the attack in a game where all the Biancocelesti needed was a point in order to secure the qualification for next year’s Europa League. It was the last game for idols Giorgio Chiellini and Paulo Dybala in Turin with the Bianconero jersey. It was the first time in ten years that Juve would not win a title, but the stadium was packed.

Lazio started well and in the 5th minute hit a crossbar with a Danilo Cataldi shot from outside the box after a one-two with Mattia Zaccagni. The good start was however short lived. In the 10th minute Alvaro Morata crossed from the left and Dusan Vlahovic, completely forgotten by the Biancoceleste defence, in solitude headed the ball past Thomas Strakosha.

In the 16th minute Felipe Anderson had a chance off a Juan Cuadrado clearance but his shot from outside the penalty area was wide. A minute later Chiellini left the pitch to a standing ovation and was substituted by Matthijs de Ligt.

Lazio attacked looking for an equaliser. On the half hour Sergej Milinkovic-Savic entered the box surrounded by defenders but managed to cross low for Cabral who was unable to make contact with the ball and Felipe Anderson was blocked by Mattia Perin.

In the 36th minute Morata made it two. He received the ball from Cuadrado on the left in the box, moved towards the edge and let go a curling shot that beat Strakosha. Wonderful goal.

In the 51st minute Lazio halved the deficit. Cataldi took a corner, Patric tried a header which was deflected by Alex Sandro into his own net and strangely it was considered an own goal.

Sarri took off Cabral and in came Pedro.

Ten minutes later free kick for the Biancocelesti. Cataldi crossed into the box, Francesco Acerbi tried a header, Perin parried.

Three substitutions for Juve: in came Luca Pellegrini, Moise Kean and Marley Aké, out went Morata, Vlahovic and Manuel Locatelli.

In the 70th minute Bernardeschi crossed from the left, Moise Kean with an acrobatic volley shaved the post.

Lazio sent in Toma Basic and Lucas Leiva for Luis Alberto and Cataldi. Massimiliano Allegri allowed Dybala to have a standing ovation substituting him with Martin Palumbo. Later Stefan Radu took Manuel Lazzari’s place.

With just seconds left, Patric went off on the counter attack. Ball to Basic who reached the edge of the box and tried a shot, Perin managed to parry but Milinkovic-Savic from a seemingly impossible angle managed to tap the ball in and give Lazio both the draw and the qualification for the Europa League.

Who played for Juventus

Perin, Cuadrado, Bonucci, Chiellini (16' De Ligt), Alex Sandro, Miretti, Locatelli (61' Aké), Bernardeschi, Dybala (78' Palumbo), Morata (61' Pellegrini), Vlahovic (61' Kean)

Substitutes: Szczęsny, Pinsoglio, Rugani, Rabiot

Manager: Allegri

Who played for Lazio

Strakosha, Lazzari (84' Radu), Patric, Acerbi, Marusic, Milinkovic-Savic, Cataldi (76' Leiva), Luis Alberto (76' Basic), Felipe Anderson, Cabral (52' Pedro), Zaccagni