Keita and Lulic are enough

Dag Jenkins
Sep 24, 2023
4 min read

Season 2016-17

Game 6, Serie A

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Empoli 2-0

Lazio struggle especially in the second half but manage to clinch win

In Serie A Lazio had so far played 5 games with 2 wins (Atalanta 4-3 away on debut and Pescara 3-0 at home), a draw (Chievo 1-1 away) and 2 defeats (Juventus 0-1 at home and most recently Milan 0-2 away). They were currently 11th on 7 points (with Fiorentina and Udinese). An inconsistent start although the defeats had come against two of the "Big Three".

So far, Empoli had won 1 (Crotone 2-1 at home), drawn 1 (Torino 0-0 away) and lost 3 (Sampdoria 0-1 at home on debut, 0-2 away to Udinese and most recently 0-2 at home to Inter). They were struggling on 4 points (with Cagliari), in 18th position.

Empoli had already started their Coppa Italia campaign, defeating Vicenza 2-0 at home. Next up were Cesena at home but not until the end of November.

Lazio were expected to win today against lowly opposition.

The match

A classic Sunday 3pm kick-off still did not pull in the crowds, only just over 10,000 spectators. The anti-Lotito sentiment veered many fans towards possibly a last summery Sunday at the sea.

Lazio had the whole squad available apart from defender Bastos and keeper Federico Marchetti while Empoli were missing defenders Andrea Costa and Vincent Laurini.

Lazio played in their classic light blue strips while Empoli were hard to recognize in a bright orangey-red outfit.

The first shot was by Keita Balde but his left foot flew a couple of metres wide.

The game did not start well for the Biancocelesti as after only nine minutes Lucas Biglia, who was making his return, suffered another muscular problem and was forced off, replaced by Danilo Cataldi.

Empoli had their first chance in the 13th minute but Manuel Pucciarelli's low strike was saved and blocked by Thomas Strakosha.

Without their Argentine playmaker Lazio nevertheless played well in the first half. Ciro Immobile teed up by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic had a brilliant left footed volley tipped over the bar by Skorupski and in the 29th minute they scored. Felipe Anderson went down the right and crossed, the ball was headed clear but only as far as Keita who drilled it to Skorupski's left, 1-0.

In the 33rd minute the visitors too lost a player through injury as Federico Barba went off and was replaced by Uroš Ćosiç.

Empoli however had not come to Rome on a field trip and almost equalised with a close-range Alberto Gilardino header, from a Pucciarelli cross from the left, but it was central and Strakosha instinctively parried. Halftime: 1-0.

Empoli went extremely close to grabbing an equaliser soon after the break when, following a Daniele Croce cross from the left to the far post, Pucciarelli hit the crossbar with a close-range strike.

Keita was still the most dangerous for Lazio and he had a curling effort that went just over the bar.

Both sides started making substitutions, for Empoli in the 59th minute forward Guido Marilungo replaced midfielder Andrés Tello and for Lazio Jordan Lukaku came on for goal scorer Keita. A strange decision by Simone Inzaghi.

The Belgian defender caused some problems immediately but to his own team. He hesitated and then messed up a back pass to Stefan Radu which Empoli took advantage of as Marilungo went down the right and crossed into the middle where José Mauri volleyed acrobatically but Strakosha was well positioned and parried low.

Wallace then blocked another dangerous Pucciarelli effort.

In the 77th minute Empoli tried changing strikers and took off Gilardino for Levan Mchedlidze.

Lazio then had a huge chance but it fell to the wrong player. Milinkovic-Savic from the right by-line pushed a ball back towards the penalty spot where Wallace managed to slice it and blast it over the bar, it was a penalty kick in movement.

In the 84th minute Lazio replaced Felipe Anderson with fresh legs and brought on young Cristiano Lombardi. Anderson had basically played at full back in the second half and was exhausted.

The game was on edge until the end as Empoli pushed forward but it was finally closed in the last minute of regular time. Lombardi crossed into the area from the right, Immobile surrounded by defenders headed up in the air and Senad Lulic crept between the backline and the keeper to head the ball in, 2-0.

There was no coming back for Empoli now and after three minutes of added time it was all over. Lazio 2 Empoli 0.

Not a vintage performance by Lazio but resolved by their higher quality of players. Some of whom were still not on top form such as Immobile and Milinkovic-Savic so there was still a lot of room for improvement. Roma had lost too so the fans were happy. One worry however was Biglia's injury. Lazio now had 10 points and were now 8th (with Chievo, Milan, Roma and Bologna).

Empoli had held their own. In the second half they had 67.2% ball possession and pumped 17 crosses into the area but there was the impression they were a bit light up front to finish off their good build up work. The Azzurri were now 19th on 4 points, with Juventus at home to look forward to. It was only September but the relegation battle had already started for the Tuscans.

Who played for Lazio

Strakosha, Wallace, de Vrij, Radu, F.Anderson (84' Lombardi), Parolo, Biglia (9' Cataldi), Milinkovic-Savic, Lulic, Keita (66' Lukaku), Immobile