First Eagles battle goes Lazio’s way

Season 2003-04

Champions League Qualifier, First Leg

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Benfica 3-1

A tough game in uncomfortable heat, but Lazio take two goal lead to Portugal

This was the transition phase between Sergio Cragnotti's golden era and Claudio Lotito's austerity era. The President at the moment was Ugo Longo and together with Luca Baraldi a financial plan had been set up in which the players received the same salary but over a longer contractual period and swapped some money for shares in the club.

Transition yes but with the possibility of qualifying for the Champions League group stage. The obstacle was Benfica, the glorious club from Lisbon.

So, a massive game tonight for the two clubs. Glory and money at stake.

The match

A hot, sticky evening in Rome with temperatures still over 35 degrees. Almost 60,000 were in attendance despite it being the peak holiday season.

Lazio had no major absences while the visitors had a few squad members unavailable: midfielders Joāo Pereira and Tiago plus forward Nuno Gomes.

The Portuguese league was due to start four days later and Serie A on August 31, but the heat was a problem for both teams irrespective of fitness levels.

Benfica started better but only had two hopeful long-distance shots by Simăo and Petit which were comfortably blocked by Angelo Peruzzi.

In the 16th minute however, Lazio took the lead courtesy of a Portuguese defensive blunder. On a Beppe Favalli throw-in, into the area from the left, a communication breakdown between Fernando Aguiar and Argel allowed Bernardo Corradi to sneak in between them and the keeper and score from close range. Lazio 1 Benfica 0.

The visitors almost gifted another goal when the keeper José Moreira messed up coming out and lost the ball but no Laziali were quick enough to take advantage.

In the 24th minute Claudio Lopez beat the offside trap and surged forward down the left, cut into the area but too near the by-line and Moreira narrowed the angle well and saved into corner.

From now on Benfica took control, looking fitter and sharper than Lazio. First Aguiar threatened and then the Portuguese Eagles had their big chance in the 29th minute when "Tomo" Sokota, on a low cross from the left, got in front of Jaap Stam on the near post but Peruzzi dived low and saved his close range shot into corner. Half time Lazio 1 Benfica 0.

Lazio pleased with result so far as Benfica had grown into the game and looked physically superior to Lazio as far as fitness levels were concerned.

There were no changes for the second half. In the 54th minute Lazio scored again. Claudio Lopez picked up a short clearance and squared to an unmarked Stefano Fiore in the heart of the box and the Calabrese midfielder made no mistake with a crisp left foot. Lazio 2 Benfica 0.

At this point the visitors made two changes: Anders Andersson for Aguiar and Roger for talented but unproductive Zlatko Zahovic.

In the 64th minute Fiore almost got his brace with a long-range effort. A minute later however, Simăo stunned the Olimpico. He picked up on a loose ball not cleared properly by Stam and from just inside the edge of the box hit a right footed shot which took a decisive deflection off Massimo Oddo and beat a faultless Peruzzi. Lazio 2 Benfica 1 and, considering away goals, now seemingly in favour of the visitors.

Roberto Mancini was well aware of the new unfavourable situation and in the 74th minute replaced defender Favalli with midfielder Fabio Liverani and playmaker Demetrio Albertini with a more offensive midfielder Sergio Conceição.

Both teams then had chances, Benfica with Sokota and Lazio with Conceição, both from outside the box.

Lazio were tiring but in the 80th minute came Sinisa Mihajlovic's masterpiece. On a free kick from about 35 metres out he curled a wonderful shot over the wall and into the top right-hand corner. Lazio 3 Benfica 1 and now the score line was looking healthier for the Romans.

The visiting Eagles tried throwing on Miklós Fehér for Geovanni in the 85th minute and the home Eagles responded in the 87th bringing on tackling maestro Giuliano Giannichedda for an exhausted Claudio Lopez.

Lazio resisted Benfica's last desperate assaults and clinched an important win and advantage ahead of the return leg.

A good win for Lazio who, despite being rustier, had taken advantage of the away side's mistakes and could now look with optimism to their trip to Porto (the da Luz in Lisbon was being modernised) in two weeks’ time. The promised land of Champions League was in touching distance.

Who played for Lazio

Peruzzi, Oddo, Stam, Mihajlovic, Favalli (74' Liverani), Fiore, Albertini (74' Conceição), Stankovic, Zauri, Corradi, C. Lopez (87' Giannichedda)