The End
- Simon Basten
- Apr 10
- 4 min read
Quarter Final, Europa League, Second Leg
Thursday, April 10, 2025
Previous Match
Stadio Olimpico
Lazio Bodø Glimt 3-1 (2-3 pens)
Lazio are eliminated from the Europa League after a penalty shootout.
The team
Marco Baroni needed to go all in for this game to recover from the 2-0 loss in the first leg so Manuel Lazzari was put as right back and Pedro in Boulaye Dia's place in the hope of scoring as early and as many as possible.
First half
Packed stadium, marvellous choreography from the Lazio fans, great atmosphere. All was ready to urge Lazio into overcoming the great mountain they had to climb due to the awful game in Bodø. But the Biancocelesti, as they often do, started slowly and the Norwegians were dangerous after just one minute when Håkon Evjen tried a shot which Christos Mandas managed to parry. It took ten minutes for the nerves to settle and from then on Lazio crushed Bodø/Glimt in their own half. In the 17th minute Pedro had a chance but his shot from a difficult position was saved by the keeper. In the 21st minute Gustav Isaksen went off on the left, entered the box, seemed to have lost the moment to cross, but then found it and Taty Castellanos with a wonderful back heel put the Biancocelesti ahead.
An early goal was exactly what was needed and Lazio put their foot on the accelerator. Three minutes later Castellanos from outside the box shot too high as did Lazzari in the 38th minute. In the 45th minute Mattia Zaccagni hit the top of the crossbar on a Mario Gila cross. In injury time Patrick Berg on a free kick forced Mandas to parry into corner.
Second half
Not having scored a second despite the great effort posed a big question mark. How much gas was left in the tank? And it looked as if Bodø/Glimt were going to exploit the situation when Adam Marusic lost the ball in the 59th minute, Ole Didrick Blomberg managed to cross in the box but Gila managed to clear. In the 61st minute Jens Petter Hauge to Kasper Høgh completely alone in front of Mandas, his shot was tipped over the crossbar by the Greek. In the 63rd minute a Pedro volley was saved into corner by Nikita Hajkin. A minute later Pedro to Castellanos just outside the box but with a free corridor in front of him. As he was about to shoot he slipped, Haikin saved.
In the 68th minute in came Nuno Tavares and Dia for Marusic and Pedro. Just under ten minutes later Bodø Glimt substituted Høgh and Blomberg with Andreas Helmersen and Isak Määttä. Earlier Sondre Fet had come in for Ulrik Saltnes.
There were further attempts by Castellanos in the 72nd minute, high, and Zaccagni on a free kick in the 78th saved by the keeper.
Baroni threw in Loum Tchaouna, Matias Vecino and Tijani Noslin for Isaksen, Nicolò Rovella and Zaccagni. Brede Moe came in for Håkon Evjen for the Norwegians.
Lazio were tiring fast, desperate for their second goal. And it could have been all over in the second minute of additional time. Hauge crossed into the box, Helmersen was all alone in front of Mandas, two metres from the goal. But he fumbled and the keeper parried.
A minute later, Lazio made it two. Nuno Tavares took a corner, Alessio Romagnoli headed towards the centre of the penalty area, Vecino with another header moved the ball towards the goal, in came Noslin who tapped it in.
The Biancocelesti were back in the game but there was no time left. Another 30 minutes were needed to determine who would go through to the semifinals.
Extra time
Four minutes into extra-time Nuno Tavares threw in the towel. He was substituted by Elseid Hysaj.
But Lazio made it three. In the 99th minute, Matteo Guendouzi on the left went for the byline and crossed. The ball went over the keeper and Dia headed it in. 3-0, as it stood the Biancocelesti were through. But there was still a lot of time left and they were dead tired. Sondre Sørli came on for Fredrik Bjørkan.
Vecino went close to make it four in the one minute of injury time with a header that went wide.
In the second half, Lazio pulled back and allowed Bodø/Glimt to move forward. Dangerously. In the 109th minute, cross into the Biancoceleste box and Helmersen headed the ball past Mandas, 3-1 and all square.
In the 118th minute Dia tried a shot, saved by Hajkin. A minute later Helmersen got sent off for a second yellow card. But there was no time left. Penalties.
Hauge missed, Dia scored, Fet scored, Tchaouna missed, Sørli scored, Noslin missed, Moe scored, Guendouzi scored. Berg had the match point but kicked the ball out. Castellanos could have equalised but took a poor penalty and Hajkin saved, giving Bodø/Glimt the qualification.
Unlucky but too many mistakes by Baroni today. He should never have allowed Castellanos, who could hardly walk, take that last penalty, never have given Tchaouna the burden of a penalty, never have taken off Marusic for Nuno Tavares and never have taken Rovella off. But ultimately Lazio were made to pay for their really bad performance in Norway.
Who played for Lazio
Mandas, Lazzari, Gila, Romagnoli, Marusic (68’ Nuno Tavares, 93’ Hysaj), Rovella (84’ Vecino), Guendouzi, Isaksen (84’ Tchanouna), Pedro (68’ Dia), Zaccagni (88’ Noslin), Castellanos
Substitutes: Provedel, Furlanetto, Gigot, Dele-Bashiru
Manager: Baroni
Who played for Bodø/Glimt
Hajkin, Sjøvold, Bjørtuft (105' Jensen), Gundersen, Bjørkan (103' Sørli), Evjen (89' Moe), Berg, Saltnes (56' Fet), Blomberg (76' Määttä), Høgh (76' Helmersen), Hauge
Substitutes: Lund, Nielsen, Auklend, Klausen, Hansen, Kjaer, Brøndbo
Manager: Knutsen
Referee: Siebert (Germany)
Goals: 21’ Castellanos, 90+3’ Noslin, 100’ Dia, 109’ Helmersen
Bookings: Rovella (L), Høgh (B), Knutsen (B), Evjen (B), Helmersen (B), Berg (B), Sjøvold (B), Lazzari (L), Dia (L)
Red Card: Helmersen (B)
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