Three derby wins in a row

Season 2012-13

Game 12, Serie A

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio-Roma 3-2

Lazio come from behind and triumph despite late scare

Source Lazio Wiki

So far in Serie A Lazio were 5th on 19 points. The Biancocelesti had won 6 (including Milan 3-2 at home), drawn 1 and lost 4.

So far in Serie A the Giallorossi were in 6th place on 17 points, so two behind Lazio. The Lupi had won 5 (including Inter 3-1 away), drawn 2 and lost 4.

Lazio were hoping to make it three derbies in a row and Zdeněk Zeman on the Roma bench brought back sweet memories (4 derbies wins in one season, 97-98). Roma meanwhile hoped to kill two birds with one stone, win the derby and overtake Lazio in the table.

The match: Sunday, November 11, 2012, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

A wet, dark November afternoon gathered about 50,000 at the Olimpico. Many people, especially families, tended to stay away from derbies in fear of crowd trouble (in fact there were the usual clashes outside the ground).

Lazio had no big absences, only Luis Pedro Cavanda and Ederson were missing. Roma too had more or less a full squad to choose from, only keeper Martin Stekelenburg and forward Mattia Destro were unavailable.

It was so dark that floodlights were necessary. After only five minutes however there was a blackout and the game was suspended for three minutes. The Lazio fans spent the pause ironically chanting for Lotito to pay the electric bill.

When the derby restarted Roma began well. They pushed forward and scored in the 8th minute. From a Francesco Totti corner, Erik Lamela got rid of Senad Lulic with a slight push and headed in without even having to jump. Lazio 0 Roma 1.

At this point Roma pulled back and Lazio had the intelligence not to try the passing game on such a heavy pitch. Instead, they pumped balls forward towards the Roma area and won several freekicks. On one, crossed into the area by Hernanes, Abdoulay Konko shaved the post with a header.

Lazio were now on top and in the 32nd minute a Hernanes freekick went just over the bar.

On another freekick in the 35th minute Lazio equalised. From over 25 metres out Antonio Candreva tried his luck and hammered a medium height central shot towards goal. The Roma keeper, underestimating the slippery conditions, put his hands towards the ball but only managed to punch it into the back of the net. The shot had power but it was definitely a goalkeeper error. Lazio 1 Roma 1.

Lazio now looked sharper and dynamic. In the 41st minute Candreva ran forward for forty metres and set up Miroslav Klose but the German's finish was slightly high.

Lazio's second goal came anyway in the 43rd minute. Hernanes beat Lamela and tried a shot which was heading off target but slowed down on the wet pitch, Klose pounced on it and beat Mauro Goicoechea. Lazio 2 Roma 1.

Things got even better for Lazio just before halftime when Daniele De Rossi lost his head and punched Stefano Mauri. All this happened miles off the ball and Rocchi had no choice but to send the midfielder from Ostia off. Halftime Lazio 2 Roma 1.

One goal up and Roma in ten men, things were looking good for Lazio. It was however a deserved lead so far.

For the second half Zeman made a disputable substitution taking off Lamela, rather than 37-year-old Totti, for midfielder Panagoitis Tachtsidis.

Lazio took advantage of the extra man immediately. On a long ball from Cristian Ledesma, Ivan Piris messed up his header and the ball fell to Mauri who controlled it with his left and blasted it in with his right. Lazio 3 Roma 1.

At this point Lazio were cruising and went close to scoring again but Hernanes' strike went just wide.

On the hour mark Lazio made their first change bringing on a more defensive Stefan Radu for Senad Lulic. Roma responded three minutes later, taking off Alessandro Florenzi and putting on Brazilian midfielder Marquinho.

In the 65th minute Candreva had a good shot saved by Goicoechea. In the 66th Roma showed their faces in the Lazio area but Daniel Osvaldo unmarked put his header over the bar.

Then it was all Lazio again. In the 67th minute Ledesma pulled a shot wide and in the 68th the Roma keeper saved on Hernanes.

In the 71st minute off went Totti, not helped by age and the heavy pitch, replaced by Miralem Pjanic. Lazio replied in the 75th minute by taking off an exhausted Hernanes for Cristian Brocchi.

Without their ageing captain Roma became quicker and attacked more, also helped by Lazio's decision to pull too far back. Vladimir Petkovic was furious but the approach continued.

Roma had a Marquinho shot over the bar and in the 81st minute Federico Marchetti saved low on another effort by the Brazilian.

In the 83rd minute Candreva was forced off with cramps and replaced by defender Lorik Cana.

This made Lazio even more defensive but two goals up against ten men with seven minutes to go things seemed under control.

This sense of tranquillity changed in the 85th when Mauri naively handballed in midfield and got his second booking of the afternoon.

Still no need to panic but that changed completely on the subsequent free kick. It was from midfield 45 metres out but Pjanic' long shot deceived a badly positioned Marchetti and somehow went over him and into the back of the net. Lazio 3 Roma 2.

Now Lazio were worried. Four minutes to go plus injury time with a one goal lead and no longer with the extra man.

The last minutes plus the four added on were extremely tense. In the 94th minute Roma almost salvaged a point. A Pablo Daniel Osvaldo volley, from a Michael Bradley assist, went very close to the left post. Final score Lazio 3 Roma 2.

Another derby triumph for Lazio who had well deserved the win and should have won by more goals. The Biancocelesti survived a self-inflicted late scare and could go and party under the Curva Nord.

Lazio were still 5th but now five points above the "cousins" who were now 7th.

Who played for Lazio

Marchetti, Konko, Biava, Dias, Lulic (60' Radu), Candreva (83' Cana), A. González, Ledesma, Hernanes (75' Brocchi), Mauri, Klose

Substitutes: Bizzarri, Carrizo, Scaloni, Ciani, Onazi, Kozak, Zarate, Rocchi, Floccari

Manager: Petkovic

Who played for Roma

Goicoechea, Piris, Burdisso, Marquinhos, Balzaretti, Bradley, De Rossi, Florenzi (63' Marquinho), Lamela (46' Tachtsidis), Osvaldo, Totti (71' Pjanic)

Substitutes: Švedkauskas, Taddei, Dodò, Castan, Romagnoli, Perrotta, Lopez

Manager: Zeman

Referee: Rocchi

Goals: 9' Lamela, 35' Candreva, 43' Klose, 46' Mauri, 86' Pjanic

Red Cards: 45' +3 De Rossi, 85' Mauri

Sources

Lazio Wiki