Lazio Held to Draw by Third Tier Meppen
- Simon Basten
- Aug 4, 2023
- 5 min read
Pre Season Friendly
Wednesday, August 4, 2021
Hotel Residence Klosterpforte, Marienfeld
Lazio Meppen 1-1
Muriqi's header cancels out an early Meppen opener, while Immobile misses a late penalty as Sarri's Lazio are held to another 1-1 draw in pre-season.
Lazio were in their second pre-season training phase. They had already been at Auronzo di Cadore from July 10 to 28 and were now at Marienfeld in Germany from August 2 to 7. After a couple of easy friendlies, they had played against Triestina winning 5-2 and Padova drawing 1-1. Today was the only test in Germany.
The match
Lazio's preparations for the 2021-22 season suffered another minor setback as Maurizio Sarri's side were held to a 1-1 draw by German third-tier side Meppen in Marienfeld. It was the second consecutive draw against lower-league opposition after the identical result against Padova, and although the match offered Sarri the chance to welcome several of his international players back into the team, the performance remained uneven.
There were, however, some mitigating circumstances. Ciro Immobile, Francesco Acerbi and Joaquín Correa had only recently returned to the squad following their involvement with Italy and Argentina respectively. Immobile, in particular, was making his first appearance of pre-season, while the match also represented an important step in Sarri's attempt to introduce his new tactical ideas to a group of players who had spent five seasons working under Simone Inzaghi.
Lazio began with Thomas Strakosha in goal and a back four of Adam Marusic, Luiz Felipe, Stefan Radu and Elseid Hysaj. Lucas Leiva anchored the midfield alongside Sergej Milinković-Savić and Luis Alberto, while Felipe Anderson and Raúl Moro supported Vedat Muriqi in attack.
The Biancocelesti struggled to impose themselves during the opening stages. Sarri's team attempted to play with a higher defensive line and greater intensity in possession, but the movements were not yet automatic. Lazio often appeared hesitant, with the players still adapting to the positional demands of their new manager.
Meppen took advantage after just 14 minutes.
Luiz Felipe made a costly mistake when he lost possession during the build-up, allowing Meppen to break forward. The German side immediately exploited the opening, and Lukas Krüger raced into the penalty area before beating Strakosha to put the hosts ahead.
The goal was a disappointing one for Lazio, but the response was immediate.
Just five minutes later, Felipe Anderson provided the answer. The Brazilian worked his way down the flank before delivering a precise cross into the area, where Muriqi rose to head the ball past the goalkeeper and restore parity.
The goal was one of the brighter moments of the first half for the Biancocelesti. Muriqi, who had endured a difficult first season in Rome, looked considerably more involved than in some of his previous appearances and showed greater energy in leading the attack.
Lazio nevertheless struggled to create a consistent rhythm. Luis Alberto came close to giving his side the lead when he attempted to finish from a promising position, but his effort went wide. Muriqi also missed a golden opportunity, hitting the crossbar with the goal seemingly at his mercy.
The two teams went into half-time level at 1-1.
Sarri made several changes at the interval, introducing Manuel Lazzari, Patric, Acerbi, Danilo Cataldi and Immobile. The substitutions were particularly significant because they brought three of Lazio's key players back into action following their extended summer break.
Immobile immediately looked to make an impact.
The newly appointed Lazio captain had a chance to score when he broke through on goal after a pass from Cataldi. He rounded the advancing goalkeeper but was unable to finish with the goal unguarded.
It was an early indication that Immobile was still finding his rhythm after his post-European Championship holiday.
The second half also saw further changes, with Dimitrije Kamenović, Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro, Gonzalo Escalante, Luka Romero and Correa all entering the match. The constant substitutions disrupted the flow of the game, but they allowed Sarri to give minutes to a large portion of his squad.
Correa, in particular, was under considerable attention. The Argentine had made it clear that he wanted to leave Lazio during the summer transfer window, and his future remained uncertain. He nevertheless played an active role after coming on and later won a penalty following a run into the area.
With just three minutes of normal time remaining, Lazio had the opportunity to complete the comeback.
Immobile stepped up from the penalty spot.
But the striker's first appearance of the summer ended without a goal. His right-footed effort was not sufficiently well placed, allowing Meppen goalkeeper Matthis Harsman to dive across and make the save.
It was a frustrating moment for Lazio, who had been given the chance to snatch victory at the end of a match in which they had struggled to find their best football.
The evening ended on another sour note when Correa was sent off in stoppage time. Already booked for a foul, the Argentine received a second yellow card for protesting and was dismissed.
The final whistle confirmed another 1-1 draw for Lazio.
For Sarri, the result was less important than the work still required to transform his new team. Lazio had shown flashes of the football their manager wanted, but the transition from Inzaghi's system was proving difficult. The players were being asked to defend higher, press more aggressively and move the ball with greater speed and precision, but the process was clearly still in its early stages.
The two consecutive draws against Padova and Meppen were therefore cause for some concern, particularly given the quality of the opposition. At the same time, Lazio's preparations had been complicated by the late return of several key players and an incomplete squad, with the transfer market still restricted by the club's financial situation.
There were positives to take from the match. Muriqi scored a well-taken equaliser, Felipe Anderson provided an assist and Immobile was finally able to begin his pre-season preparations. The return of the captain and the other internationals also gave Sarri a more complete group with which to work.
But there was no escaping the feeling that Lazio still had considerable work ahead of them.
Sarri had arrived in Rome with the task of changing not only the team's tactical approach but also its mentality and style of play. Against Meppen, the process was still very much a work in progress.
Who played for Lazio
Strakosha, Marusic (46' Lazzari), Luiz Felipe (46' Patric), Radu (46' Acerbi), Hysaj (60' Kamenovic), Milinkovic-Savic (60' Akpa Akpro), Leiva (60' Escalante), Luis Alberto (46' Cataldi), Felipe Anderson (60' Romero), Muriqi (46' Immobile), Moro (60' Correa)
Manager: Sarri
Who played for Meppen
Harsman, Jesgarzewski (66' Ballmert), Osée (64' Käuper, 83' Klöpper), Fedl, Al-Hazaimeh (54' Bünning), Evseev (77' Benke), Egerer, Dombrowa (66' Faßbender), Ametov (77' Hoffmann), Krüger (83' Ideler), Guder (77' Holt)
Substitutes: Punt
Manager: Schmitt
Referee: Exner
Goals: 14’ Dombrowa, 19’ Muriqi
Sources
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