Kozak resolves Viola case

Dag Jenkins

Jan 29, 20244 min read

Season 2010-11

Game 22, Serie A

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Fiorentina 2-0

Two goals by Czech striker give Lazio deserved win

So far, after 21 games Lazio were in 5th position on 37 points. Lazio had started well and up to the 11th fixture were top of the table. They then became inconsistent despite some good wins (including Inter 3-1). Lazio had won 11 (including Fiorentina 2-1 away), drawn 4 and lost 6 (alas also the derby 0-2). Their most recent result was a 1-3 away defeat at Bologna.

Fiorentina were currently in joint 12th position with Parma on 25 points. The Florentines had won 6, drawn 7 (including Juventus 1-1 away) and lost 8 (including Lazio 1-2 at home). They were however unbeaten in the last four games.

Lazio were favourites today, 12 points ahead in the table and playing at home but were also very inconsistent.

The match

Ticket owned by Dag Jenkins. Photo by Dag Jenkins

A 6 o'clock Saturday kick off on a humid evening only attracted about 20,000 to the Olimpico.

Lazio had some important absences as neither Tommaso Rocchi (injured) nor Mauro Zarate (suspended) were available. The Biancocelesti also had defender André Dias out and compatriot Hernanes who however was at least on the bench.

Fiorentina had defenders Cesare Natali and Manuel Pasqual, midfielders Juan Vargas and Marco Marchionni plus forward Adrian Mutu out.

The game did not really take off in the first half. The first thing that happened was Modibo Diakité having to go off injured in the 13th minute, replaced by Guglielmo Stendardo.

Lazio did not create much, but still more than Fiorentina. Sergio Floccari had a good effort but Artur Boruc saved well and then Cristian Ledesma had a shot go just wide of the right post. The Biancocelesti had a series of crosses but only found the target Libor Kozak once in the 26th minute but his close-range header's danger was defused by hitting Nikola Gulan.

In the 37th minute Lazio also lost Sergio Floccari who limped off and on came Giuseppe Sculli.

A minute later the Florentines had their only shot at goal with an Alessio Cerci effort saved into corner by Fernando Muslera.

In the 41st minute Álvaro González had a powerful strike but Boruc was ready and parried, denying the Uruguayan his phone call to his grandmother with his football boot (his customary goal celebration).

The first half unsurprisingly ended up 0-0. Lazio had tried but missed Hernanes' creativity up front while Fiorentina had proposed almost nothing at all.

For the second half the Viola put on a playmaker Gaetano D'Agostino and took off an excessively tame Adem Ljajić.

The second half was equally blocked with neither side creating any really dangerous goal scoring chances. Sculli had a low shot blocked by Boruc near the right post but the game needed an episode, a spark to change its monotony.

The game changer came in the 69th minute when Krøldrup blatantly tripped Kozak in the area. The lanky Czech striker took the spot kick perfectly, sending Boruc the wrong way. Lazio 1 Fiorentina 0.

Fiorentina showed no signs of life and Lazio doubled the score four minutes later. Stefano Mauri won back possession, Cristian Brocchi started the counterattack and found Sculli before the latter chipped a surgically precise cross to Kozak on the far post and the Czech headed in a straight forward finish. Lazio 2 Fiorentina 0.

The Gigliati tried to change the depressing script by replacing Cerci with forward Khouma el Babacar in the 70th minute and Marco Donadel with former Lazio (and not welcomed back well) Valon Behrami in the 73rd.

Fiorentina however continued in their sterile long balls to an always marked Alberto Gilardino.

In the 80th minute Lazio put on Hernanes for Gonzalez but they had already done enough to win the match. Final score Lazio 2 Fiorentina 0.

An ultimately deserved win for Lazio. The Biancocelesti had not created that much but still a lot more than the visitors. Despite missing Rocchi, Zarate and Hernanes, the unlikely hero was Kozak in his first league start. Fiorentina had been very poor, the imminent return of Adrian Mutu seemed vital at this point.

Lazio were momentarily up to joint 2nd place with Napoli on 40 points as the other teams would play the following day. Napoli then beat Sampdoria 4-0, Inter beat Palermo 3-2 and Roma won 1-0 in Bologna so Lazio dropped down to 5th place.

Fiorentina after today's lame performance were down to joint 13th place with Parma and Bologna on 25 points, only five from the relegation zone.

Who played for Lazio

Muslera, Lichtsteiner, Diakité (13' Stendardo), Biava, Radu, Gonzalez (80' Hernanes), Brocchi, Ledesma, Mauri, Kozak, Floccari (37' Sculli)