Umpteenth black out proves almost fatal
Game 35, Serie A
Friday, May 12 2023
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Lecce 2-2
Lazio have yet another black out but manage to draw the game in the dying minutes
The team
Maurizio Sarri had trouble at midfield. Danilo Cataldi would be out of action until the end of the season and Matias Vecino was also out injured. As a consequence the midfield was the same as the one tried out against Milan with Luis Alberto, Marcos Antonio and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. Manuel Lazzari was chosen in place of Adam Marusic.
The match
Lazio soon showed difficulty in playing against a well-organised Lecce who immediately found the key to make the Biancocelesti’s life difficult. Just like the game at the Stadio del Mare, Lecce overloaded the midfield with players and Lazio could not find any solutions. To add to this was also the Biancocelesti 's poor form. Marcos Antonio did what he could, but he still needed to learn.
Nothing much happened until the 21st minute. Lameck Banda crossed from the left, the ball was contested by Nicolò Casale and Lorenzo Colombo but neither could get a decent header. The ball hence went to the other side of the box and Elseid Hysaj had the advantage over Alexis Blin who however managed to get a leg in front just as Hysaj was about to clear. The Albanian kicked the Giallorosso and it was a penalty for Lecce. Gabriel Strefrezza took the spot kick but shot wide.
Lazio reacted, finally, and started to play better. In the 34th minute Luis Alberto saw Ciro Immobile’s usual movement towards the penalty box, ball to the King and it was 1-0 for Lazio. A classic goal from Immobile, we’ve seen it time and time again.
At that point Lazio tried to put the game to sleep and in the 43rd minute almost made it two. Milinkovic-Savic won a tackle against Samuel Umtiti, Luis Alberto ran towards the box, ball back to the Serb who turned around and shot. Great save by Wladimiro Falcone.
With just seconds to go to the end of the two minutes of added time, Morten Hjulmand made a long pass to Valentin Gendrey on the right. The Frenchman moved forward and saw his compatriot Rémi Oudin running towards the centre, low ball to him, Marcos Antonio was out of position, Oudin controlled the ball and sent it past Ivan Provedel. Lazio - Lecce 1-1.
Second half
Lazio began the second half as badly as they played the first and Lecce scored again in the 51st minute. Strefezza ran with the ball to the edge of the box and passed it to Oudin who anticipated Lazzari and scored again.
Lazio were in total confusion and not exactly helped by Sarri who in the 56th minute substituted Felipe Anderson with Pedro and Hysaj with Luca Pellegrini. Whereas on the left wing Lazio were far stronger, on the right Pedro did not have the necessary characteristics the Brazilian had to support Lazzari. And Lazio’s difficulties in creating any chances got even worse.
In the 68th minute Lecce took off Banda and Colombo and in came Federico Di Francesco and Assan Ceesay. In the 72nd Sarri finally threw in Toma Basic and out went Marcos Antonio.
The midfield was better balanced and Lazio started to create chances. In the 74th minute Milinkovic-Savic crossed from the right, Immobile missed a very difficult header and the ball went just wide. In the 76th minute Mattia Zaccagni won a ball and passed to Immobile. The Lazio centre forward went into the penalty area, dribbled past Federico Baschirotto and shot. Another great save from Falcone.
Three more substitutions for Lecce between the 77th and 82 minute. In came Simone Romagnoli, Joan Gonzalez and Porir Helgason, out went Gendrey, Strefezza and Blin.
In the 87th minute Zaccagni crossed into the box, Antonino Gallo tried to clear, the ball went up in the air and fell to Pedro’s feet. The Spaniard stopped, turned around and shot, but Falcone was well placed. In the 92nd minute, a quick corner, one two Luis Alberto-Pellegrini, the Spaniard saw Pedro outside the box and passed the ball to him. Pedro shot and hits the post. In the 94th minute Pedro crossed into the box, Romagnoli tried to clear but only as far as Milinkovic-Savic who headed it in, wrong footing Falcone, for Lazio’s equaliser.
Lazio played very badly but managed to clinch a well deserved draw.
A note on the referee. Lazio always had problems with Fabio Maresca. Banda, already booked, should have been sent off in the first half for another very bookable foul. Lecce wasted about half an hour in the second half with continuous stoppages and taking far too long to do even the most routine things. The six minutes of injury time were way too little. As usual, when it rains on Lazio, it pours.
Who played for Lazio
Provedel, Lazzari, Casale, Romagnoli, Hysaj (58` Pellegrini), Milinkovic-Savic, Marcos Antonio (73` Basic), Luis Alberto, Felipe Anderson (58` Pedro), Immobile, Zaccagni
Substitutes: Maximiano, Adamonis, Gila, Radu, Patric, Marusic, Fares, Bertini, Cancellieri, Gonzalez
Manager: Sarri
Who played for Lecce
Falcone, Gendrey (77` Romagnoli), Baschirotto, Umtiti, Gallo, Blin, Hjulmand, Oudin (Helgason), Strefezza (77` Gonzalez), Colombo (67` Ceesay), Banda (67` Di Francesco)
Substitutes: Bleve, Brancolini, Pongracic, Askildsen, Tuia, Ceccaroni, Persson, Maleh, Cassandro, Pezzella
Manager: Baroni
Referee: Maresca
Goals: 34` Immobile, 45`+2' Oudin, 51` Oudin, 90`+4` Milinkovic-Savic
Bookings: Lazzari, Banda, Oudin, Pellegrini, Falcone, Blin, Milinkovic-Savic, Gonzalez
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