Lazio fight back to draw but are almost out

Dag Jenkins
Nov 25, 2023
4 min read

Season 2004-05

Game 3, UEFA Cup Group E

Thursday, November 24, 2004

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Partizan Belgrade 2-2

Two zero down at halftime Lazio clinch point but too little to have qualification hopes

In this evening's competition, the UEFA Cup, the Biancocelesti had got through the playoff defeating Metalurh Donetsk 6-0 on aggregate.

This was the third match of the group phase which also included Middlesbrough, Villarreal and Egaleo. A strange format with no double home and away games but a single game against each. Lazio were struggling after 1 draw (Villarreal 1-1 at home) and 1 defeat (Middlesbrough 0-2 away). The table read: Middlesbrough 6 (2 games), Partizan 3 (1), Lazio 1 (2), Villarreal 1 (1) and Egaleo 0 (2).

The games this evening were Lazio vs Partizan and Villarreal vs Middlesbrough.

Only a win could give Lazio some hope of progressing in the tournament.

So far in this UEFA Cup group Partizan Belgrade had played one game, a 4-0 thrashing of Egaleo at home.

A tough game for Lazio tonight against a young and talented Serb side.

The match

A cold evening only saw about 12,000 fans turn up at the Olimpico.

Lazio had several players out injured; defenders Sebastiano Siviglia and Luciano Zauri plus midfielder Giuliano Giannichedda. The Serbs were missing midfielder Albert Nad.

The Serbs had announced they were coming to Rome for a win and their attitude confirmed their pre-match talk.

In the first six minutes they threatened a few times. Pierre Boya had a header go just over the bar and then in the 6th minute they scored. Ivan Tomic put a good through ball to Boya who with the outside of his right foot beat Matteo Sereni, 0-1. A good goal but the Lazio defence had opened up too easily.

Lazio took a while to reorganise but, after risking potential dangers a couple more times, slowly regained more control of the game.

In the 13th minute Simone Inzaghi tried a shot from a difficult angle and he was off target.

In the 21st minute Lazio had an Inzaghi goal disallowed by the linesman who was the only one who had seen an offside.

Lazio suffered a further injustice in the 24th minute. From a Simon Vukčević cross Boya headed but Sereni blocked, the Camerunese forward then kicked the ball out of the keeper’s hands and into the net and the referee incredibly gave the goal, 0-2. The Lazio players obviously protested and several were booked.

Partizan risked making it three in the 43rd minute when Boya almost got his hat-trick but from close range he volleyed over the bar.

Lazio had the opportunity to pull one back just before halftime when they were awarded a penalty for Nenad Dordević pulling down Inzaghi. Simoncino took it but it was a terrible execution and Ivica Kralj saved.

Lazio were two goals down at halftime, partly self-inflicted but also due to some terrible referee and linesman decisions.

For the second half the Biancocelesti replaced Tommaso Rocchi with César.

In the 52nd minute Lazio reopened the game. On an Anthony Šerić cross Paolo Di Canio pounced and drilled the ball past Kralj on the volley, 1-2.

Lazio immediately put on an extra forward, taking off Christian Manfredini for Roberto Muzzi.

Lazio now attacked furiously and almost equalised several times. In the 55th minute Emanuele Filippini shaved the post and in the 60th Paolo Negro's sliding effort went just wide.

The Serbs were still threatening on the break however and in the 58th minute Saša Ilić had forced Sereni to save with his foot.

In the 66th minute the Slavs replaced Dragan Ćirić with Branimir Petrović.

In the 73rd minute Lazio got the deserved equaliser. César crossed from the right and Inzaghi poked the ball home to level the score, 2-2.

Lazio then pushed forward for the winner while the Crno-beli took off Vukčević for Miroslav Radović.

Lazio attacked but were unable to get the decisive goal. The Serbs closed themselves in defence but still had a couple of forays on the counter attack to steal the game especially with former Roma player Tomic.

From the 90th minute Lazio had even tried with four attacking players by bringing on Goran Pandev for Serić while the visitors had responded by taking off Ilić for defender Branimir Bajić.

A 2-2 draw which was welcomed by Partizan but not by Lazio despite coming back from 0-2 down. Lazio had wasted the first half and left themselves a mountain to climb in the second.

Villarreal had defeated Middlesbrough so Lazio were practically out. The table now read; Middlesbrough 6 (3), Villarreal 4 (2), Partizan 4 (2), Lazio 2 (3), Egaleo 0 (2).

Who played for Lazio

Sereni, Oddo, Negro, F.Couto, Seric (90' Pandev), Dabo, E.Filippini, Manfredini (53' Muzzi), Di Canio, Rocchi (46' César), S.Inzaghi