Lazio's "Valencian" Connection Takes Shape

Season 2001-02

Pre Season Friendly

Saturday, July 28, 2001

Centro Sportivo Reiperting, Riscone di Brunico

Lazio Cittadella 2-0

Mendieta and Claudio López combine to inspire a 2-0 victory over Cittadella, as Zoff's side continue to build momentum during pre-season

Source Lazio Wiki

The Biancocelesti were in the pre season training retreat at Riscone di Brunico near Bolzano. They had already played three friendlies beating Olympiakos Nicosia, a Selection from Alto Adige and Panathinaikos. Today they were faced with Serie B team Cittadella.

The match

Lazio's "Valencian" connection was beginning to take shape. Gaizka Mendieta ran, pressed and created, while Claudio López made his runs and scored, just as he had done two years earlier. And Dino Zoff watched on with satisfaction.

The two former Valencia players were not the only ones to shine, but they certainly deserved the headlines after Lazio's 2-0 victory over Cittadella. Making his debut in the Biancocelesti shirt, Mendieta immediately demonstrated that the club's substantial investment in him could prove to be money well spent. López, meanwhile, buoyed by the presence of his friend and former team-mate, looked dangerous once again.

It was the pair who combined to produce the opening goal after 15 minutes. For a moment, the small stadium at Riscone seemed to transform into Valencia's Mestalla. Mendieta received the ball in midfield, looked up, spotted López and, at precisely the moment the striker made his run, played him through. El Piojo raced clear of the defenders, waited for the goalkeeper to come off his line and calmly slotted the ball into the net.

But alongside them, the entire Lazio team performed well. There was still work to be done, but the impression was that Zoff's work was already beginning to bear fruit. The test against Cittadella was certainly less demanding than the previous match against Panathinaikos, but it was not one to be taken lightly. Lazio, however, were never seriously troubled and, for around 20 minutes, produced some good football, based on possession in midfield and quick passing combinations between the central midfielders and the forwards.

If Mendieta was the surprise of the day, Stefano Fiore was the confirmation. The former Udinese player once again produced a strong performance, continuing the good form he had shown in Lazio's previous friendlies. Karel Poborský and Giuseppe Pancaro also impressed with their work on the flanks. Perhaps the only thing missing was a little more precision with the final pass. But at that stage of pre-season, it would have been unfair to expect the players to have complete sharpness as well.

From a physical standpoint, however, the Biancocelesti showed that they had already reached a good level of fitness. Zoff kept his starting XI on the pitch for more than an hour. Alessandro Nesta and Hernán Crespo were left out as a precaution after suffering minor muscular fatigue. Halfway through the second half, Zoff brought on the rest of his squad, who would later play another 45 minutes in an unofficial practice match organised to give Fernando Couto some playing time.

The so-called Lazio-2 was no less impressive than the starting team, much to Zoff's satisfaction. The manager could clearly count on a strong and deep squad. It was the substitutes—perhaps better described as alternatives—who produced Lazio's second goal. Simone Inzaghi, who had now scored four goals in four half-matches, finished off a fine move initiated by Iván de la Peña and continued by Lucas Castroman, whose final touch set up Inzaghi for the winning finish.

Late on, there was even time for a somewhat sluggish Cittadella to threaten, with Davide Zanon hitting the post from a free-kick.

And so Lazio completed their fourth consecutive pre-season friendly without conceding a goal. The three-man defence continued to raise some questions, but for the time being, it was doing one thing very effectively: it wasn't conceding.

Who played for Lazio

Marchegiani, Negro (65' Ola), D.Baggio (65' Favalli), Mihajlović (65' Colonnese), Poborsky (65' Castroman), Mendieta (65' Baronio), Simeone (65' Giannichedda), Fiore (65' De La Peña), Pancaro (65' Gottardi), Salas (46' S.Inzaghi), C.Lopez (78' Berrettoni)

Manager: Zoff

Who played for Cittadella

Capecchi (60' Redaelli), Turato, Zanon, Cinetto, Giacomin (78' Migliorini), Martusciello (60' Rimondini), Mazzoleni (60' Ottofaro), Pizzi (65' Scarpa); Ferrarese (60' Amore), Ghirardello (65' Baicu), Sturba (65' De Gasperi)

Manager: Glerean

Referee: Bonadio

Goals: 15’ C.Lopez, 74’ S.Inzaghi

Sources

Lazio Wiki