Game 2, Amsterdam Tournament
Saturday, August 5, 2000
Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam
Lazio Barcelona 3-3
Lazio were 3-1 up at halftime but Blaugrana fight back to clinch draw and win tournament
So far in pre-season, before this tournament, Lazio had played three games. They had beaten Austrian amateurs Schwarzach 15-1, drawn 0-0 with Bayer Leverkusen and lost 1-2 against Eintracht Frankfurt but with several reserves.
In the first game of the Amsterdam tournament the Biancocelesti had drawn 0-0 with hosts Ajax. Lazio had fielded a stronger side compared to the previous games. They had played well defensively but as a team were far still from match fit.
The match
There was a good crowd of 50,000 in the Arena.
Lazio were missing Alessandro Nesta, Beppe Favalli, Paolo Negro, Juan Sebastian Veron, Diego Simeone, Pavel Nedved and new signings Claudio Lopez and Hernan Crespo.
Barcelona had most players available but shuffled them around between the two halves.
Barcelona started strongly and in the first twenty minutes had several chances to take the lead. The Catalans however were denied by a superb Angelo Peruzzi, the "Cinghialone" (Wild Boar), who saved on Dani, Kluivert and almost miraculously on Gerard from close range.
In the 21st minute against the run of play it was Lazio who scored. A brilliant Sinisa Mihajlovic freekick curled over the Barcelona wall and into the top right-hand corner. Lazio 1 Barcelona 0.
Lazio now played well with fast, precise, one touch football. In the 33rd minute Lazio scored again. On a long ball, out of defence Fabrizio Ravanelli headed onto Marcelo Salas who got behind his marker in the area and blasted a mid-height left foot in on the near post. Lazio 2 Barcelona 0.
Barcelona pulled one back immediately and it was a deja-vu for Lazio. In the 35th minute on a low Boudewijn Zenden cross from the left Dani slotted in from close range. It was a very similar goal to the one Dani had scored against Lazio in the 1999 Cup Winners Cup (Lazio 2 Mallorca 1).
Lazio however took back a double lead five minutes later. Dejan Stankovic burst forward and put a low through ball behind the Barca defence to Attilio Lombardo, inside the area on the right, the ball was then squared to the "Matador" Salas who had an easy tap in. Lazio 3 Barcelona 1.
A good first half by Lazio who had twice punished the Catalans on the break.
For the second half Barcelona brought on some big guns: Abelardo, Josep Guardiola, Marc Overmars and Rivaldo for Emmanuel Petit, Xavi, Philip Cocu and Zenden. Lazio made no changes for now as they only had youth players on the bench.
Rivaldo was already match fit as he had played for Brazil over the summer and he brought new energy to the "Culés". He had a header go just wide and then forced Peruzzi into a save from his freekick. In the 64th minute it was Gerard (another player who had punished Lazio before) who reduced the deficit with a cracking shot from 25 metres out. Lazio 3 Barcelona 2.
In the 72nd minute Lazio had the chance to possibly close the game. Stankovic raced forward and instead of passing to an unmarked Ravanelli tried a lob which hit the crossbar.
Two minutes later Barça equalised with a Rivaldo gem. He flicked the ball through Roberto Baronio's legs and then hammered a low left foot past Peruzzi. Lazio 3 Barcelona 3.
In the 81st minute Lazio replaced Ivan De La Peña and Ravanelli with two youngsters and then in the 86th Beppe Pancaro with another youth team player but managed to hold on for a draw.
Ultimately a good result for Lazio despite having led 3-1 at halftime. The Biancocelesti had important absences but had played good, slick football and held their own against the "Spanish" giants.
Barcelona therefore won the tournament with 9 points ahead of Ajax 6, Lazio 5 and Arsenal 1.
Who played for Lazio
Peruzzi, Gottardi, Colonnese, Mihajlovic, Pancaro (86' Santarelli), Stankovic, Lombardo, De La Peña (81' Luciani), Baronio, Salas, Ravanelli (81' Berrettoni)
Substitutes: Marchegiani, Conti, Varriale, Raggiu
Manager: Eriksson
Who played for Barcelona
Dutruel, Reiziger, Petit (46' Abelardo), Sergi, F. De Boer, Gerard, Xavi (46' Guardiola), Cocu (46' Overmars), Zenden (46' Rivaldo), Kluivert (86' Simao), Dani
Substitutes: Arnau, Puyol
Manager: Ferrer
Referee: Van de Ende
Goals: 21' Mihajlovic, 33' Salas, 35' Dani, 39' Salas, 64' Gerard, 74' Rivaldo
Sources
Comments