First round to Lazio

Simon Basten
Jan 14, 2024
2 min read

Season 2003-04

Coppa Italia, Quarter Final, First Leg

Wednesday, January 14, 2004

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Parma 2-0

Muzzi and Stankovic give Lazio a good chance to move on in Coppa Italia.

In Coppa Italia, the Biancocelesti had eliminated Modena 3-0 on aggregate in the Round of 16. Today was the first leg of the quarter final against Parma.

The match

The first thirty minutes were boring and nothing happened. One had to wait until the 36th minute for some excitement and this was thanks firstly to Fabio Liverani who with a great cross allowed Roberto Muzzi to anticipate Fabio Cannavaro and head the ball past Vincenzo Sicignano who was perhaps a little too far forward. In the 41st minute big scare for the Parma keeper hit by Bernardo Corradi. He was forced to abandon play and was substituted by Sebastian Frey.

In the second half Cannavaro hit a crossbar in the 57th minute but three minutes later Dejan Stankovic thanks to a good pass from Corradi found himself in the box towards the left but with a great shot made it 2-0.

Parma tried to reduce the deficit and had a chance with Benny Carbone in the 64th minute, but Matteo Sereni produced a miracle. Lazio could have made it three but a disastrous attempted lob from Luciano Zauri from favourable a position and Cannavaro’s last second tackle on Claudio Lopez in the 81st minute when he was face to face with Frey, meant that the Biancocelesti would only be taking a two-goal lead into the second leg.