Frightening

Season 2000-01

Super Coppa Final

Friday, September 8, 2000

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Inter 4-3

Claudio Lopez scores a brace as Lazio win the Super Coppa

The season was going to be a strange one since, due to the Olympic Games in Sydney, the Italian Federation decided to start the Campionato on October 1. However, Champions League would be played in September just the same so the Italian teams involved in the European competitions would play with few games in their legs. Not ideal.

The first game of the season was however the Super Coppa. Lazio, having won the scudetto and Coppa Italia last season, would play against the national Cup’s runners-up: Inter.

The match

Lazio had an immediate chance after just a minute. Hernan Crespo on the right crossed in the middle for Claudio Lopez who missed the ball in front of Ballotta. A minute later Inter scored. Francisco Farinos put a long ball over the Lazio defence and Robbie Keane beat Alessandro Nesta and Sinisa Mihajlovic and lobbed the ball over Angelo Peruzzi.

In the 10th minute a Mihajlovic free kick was easily saved by Marco Ballotta. In the 12th, Pavel Nedved in the gap to Lopez who went past Ballotta but was unable to put the ball in the middle. The Inter defence cleared. In the 22nd minute, a free kick for Lazio. Juan Sebastian Veron crossed into the box, great header by Diego Simeone, great save by Ballotta. The ball was still in play, Lopez crossed, the Inter goalkeeper got a hand to the ball but gave Beppe Pancaro the shot, the Inter defence cleared on both his attempts, ball back to the middle of the Inter half, Veron tried a shot which hit Simeone and in the end arrived to Crespo but his shot was weak.

Keane almost made it two for Inter in the 25th minute. Another long pass over the Lazio defence this time by Vladimir Jugovic found Keane, who dribbled past Beppe Favalli and found himself alone in front of Peruzzi. Here the Irishman made the mistake of trying to dribble past the big goalkeeper instead of shooting and Peruzzi was able to grab the ball and avoid trouble.

In the 33rd minute Favalli from the left crossed, the ball was deflected by an Inter player and reached Claudio Lopez just inside the box. The Argentinian stopped it with his chest and shot a low volley which beat Ballotta. First goal for the new Lazio signing.

In the 39th minute, Dejan Stankovic on the counter attack, long pass to Crespo on the left who chested it down and dribbled past Ivan Cordova. Lopez did not give his compatriot any time to intervene as he plunged onto the ball and with a left strike beat Ballotta for the second time. 2-1 for Lazio.

After 35 seconds of the second half there was a cross from the right into the Inter box, Vampeta grabbed Nedved as he was about to shoot and pulled him down. Penalty for Lazio that Mihajlovic comfortably scored taking Lazio to 3-1.

Game over? No. Free kick for Inter in the 62nd minute. Farinos tried a shot over the wall but it hit Nestor Sensini and ended in the back of the net with Peruzzi unable to save it.

After a few half chances for both sides, Lazio made it four. In the 75th minute Veron stole the ball off Fabio Macellari and moved towards the Inter box. He waited for the right moment and then made a wonderful pass to Stankovic who chipped the ball over Ballotta.

A minute later, Inter scored a comical goal. Clarence Seedorf from the right to Vampeta who crossed the ball into the box. Everybody stopped to see who would get it, nobody did, ball straight into the net. Lazio 4 Inter 3.

Inter attacked, Lazio panicked. After a couple of chances for the Nerazzurri, in the 88th minute Keane crossed from the right, Hakan Sukur jumped higher than the Lazio defence but his header was too high.

Lazio controlled the rest of the game and conquered yet another trophy.

The Biancocelesti were frightening in attack, but a little rusty in defence. However, a good start to the season.

Who played for Lazio

Peruzzi, Pancaro (69’ Gottardi), Mihajlovic, Nesta, Favalli, Stankovic (81’ Lombardo), Simeone, Veron, Nedved (54’ Sensini), Claudio Lopez, Crespo