Lazio close it in first 15 minutes

Dag Jenkins
Apr 29, 2024
3 min read

Season 2014-15

Game 33, Serie A

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio-Parma 4-0

The Biancocelesti go 3-0 up in first quarter of an hour and the game becomes a formality

Lazio were currently in 2nd position, on 59 points but only one ahead of Roma and three of Napoli. League leaders Juventus were miles ahead on 73 points. There were three Champions League places available so Lazio were in the thick of the battle.

Pride or no pride Lazio were expected to win today if they wanted to maintain Champions League aspirations. If Parma lost today they were arithmetically down.

The match

A Wednesday evening game brought about 45,000 spectators to the Olimpico.

Lazio were still without defender Stefan de Vrij and midfielder Lucas Biglia but had Marco Parolo, Danilo Cataldi and Filip Djordjevic back from injury.

Parma were missing defender Andrea Costa and midfielder Daniele Galloppa.

The game was basically over after fifteen minutes as Lazio went three nil up.

It was Parma however who started better and had two chances in the first ten minutes. First Federico Marchetti had to dive low at Antonio Nocerino's feet after a clever backheel by Andi Lila and then the keeper had to fist away a powerful shot by Raffaele Palladino from the edge of the box.

The news came through that Roma had scored at Sassuolo and so, as things stood, would go above Lazio. Then Lazio scored three goals in five minutes. In the 10th minute Parolo struck with a great long range shot into the top hand corner.

In the 13th minute Felipe Anderson beat Massimo Gobbi on the right and crossed low to Stefan Radu whose shot was saved by Antonio Mirante with his foot but the Gialloblu keeper could do nothing on Miroslav Klose's subsequent tap-in.

In the 15th minute Senad Lulic headed on centrally to Antonio Candreva who surged forward between Pedro Mendes and Alessandro Lucarelli and beat Mirante coming off his line. Lazio 3 Parma 0, after only a quarter of an hour.

To Parma's credit they did not give up and the game remained competitive even if the home win was no longer in doubt.

Lazio slowed down and concentrated more on possession and keeping Parma away from any potential danger zones. The Biancocelesti had sudden attacking forays but without the previous electric speed. On one Felipe Anderson was clear but he pushed the ball just that bit too far and the chance was lost. Half time Lazio 3 Parma 0.

In the second half the game was more balanced and more like a friendly. Parma had a shot by Mendes go just over the bar before Klose got booked for a sliding tackle which would now cost him a one-match suspension (Atalanta away).

Just after the hour mark the first substitutions came, in the 61st minute defender Fabiano Santacroce replaced Mattia Cassani for Parma and in the 64th Keita Balde took Felipe Anderson's place for Lazio.

Keita was immediately dangerous when after a good run down the right his shot was tipped over the bar by Mirante.

More changes followed, for Lazio, Edson Braafheid came on for Radu (72') and Stefano Mauri for Klose (78') while for Parma, McDonald Mariga replaced Francesco Lodi (75').

Parma still battled and were unlucky when Palladino hit the crossbar with a long-range effort.

Then in the 81st minute Lazio got their fourth. Candreva went down the right and squared low to Keita who lobbed the keeper with a clever flick. Lazio 4 Parma 0 and final score.

A convincing win for Lazio. After a couple of negative results, they were back on track for a direct Champions League qualification. The table read Juventus 76 (Champions), Lazio 62, Roma 61, Napoli 56. Top three straight into CL, the fourth to a preliminary.

Parma were officially relegated. With today's defeat and Atalanta's draw in Cesena the Ducali had no more hope. Now their main objective was to find new owners to save the club itself.

Who played for Lazio

Marchetti, Basta, Ciani, Mauricio, Radu (72' Braafheid), Cataldi, Parolo, Candreva, F. Anderson (64' Keita), Lulic, Klose (78' S. Mauri)