Spectacular draw

Dag Jenkins
Sep 1, 2022
4 min read

Season 2019-20

Game 2, Serie A

Sunday, September 1 2019

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Roma 1-1

An exciting derby ends with a point apiece but Lazio would have won on posts (4-2)

Lazio had so far only played one league game and it had been an excellent 3-0 away win at Sampdoria with a Ciro Immobile brace and a goal by Joaquin Correa.

The derby came early this year.

On their debut Roma had drawn 3-3 at home to Genoa after going ahead three times.

No real favourites today and even if there were it never counts much in derbies anyway.

The match

A Sunday 6.p.m kick-off brought about 55,000 fans to the "Stracittadina". The pitch was still slightly wet from the afternoon rain.

Lazio had no real absences while Roma were forced to play Justin Kluivert rather than Davide Zappacosta as the Italian strained his calf in the warm-up.

The first huge chance was for the Biancocelesti. After three minutes Luís Alberto swung in a corner from the left, the Roma keeper punched it clear, it reached Lucas Leiva outside the box and the Brazilian hit it first time on the volley but it came back off the left post. On the rebound Ciro Immobile shot but a defender walled it out for a corner.

Roma responded with a post of their own in the 5th minute. Nicolò Zaniolo hit a low left footer from the edge of the area but it hit the right post and came back into play on the left.

In the 17th minute Roma were awarded a penalty. Edin Dzeko tried to scoop a ball into the area but it hit Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's arm. The Serb was only standing about a metre from the Bosnian and couldn't do much about it but in modern football unfortunately they give these penalties. Aleksandar Kolarov put a medium height shot to Thomas Strakosha's right and Roma were ahead, 0-1. It was his third goal in a derby (second for Roma).

Lazio were then unlucky in the 24th minute as they hit the woodwork again. Milinkovic-Savic headed onto Immobile who charged into the box and let loose a thundering shot which came straight back off the crossbar.

Only a minute later Lazio could not believe it as they hit another post. This time it was Joaquin Correa who weaved his way into the box on the left and his right foot sent a brilliant, low, curling shot onto the far post.

In the 27th minute Zaniolo then hit another post with a powerful strike from outside the area. The fifth woodwork of the match! It was all happening.

The next chance too was for the Giallorossi. Following a corner Bryan Cristante headed a Strakosha short punched clearance over the keeper but Milinkovic-Savic headed it away near the goal line.

In the 40th minute Lazio had to make a substitution as Luiz Felipe went off injured and on came Bastos.

Halftime score Lazio 0 Roma 1. An exciting derby so far which could have been 3-3 already.

Strangely not a lot happened early on after the break until the 58th minute when latching on to a Stefan Radu cross from the left Manuel Lazzari headed just wide.

In the 59th minute Lazio equalised. Immobile ran into the area on the right but could not shoot as he had too many defenders on him, instead he intelligently laid the ball back to the oncoming Luís Alberto who smashed the ball into the back of the net despite having five Romanisti between him and the goal, 1-1.

Lazio almost doubled their lead immediately. In the 65th minute Immobile set up Correa who went past a defender and in front of Pau Lopez shot but the Spanish keeper pulled off a great save.

In the 67th minute Pastore came on for Cengiz Under while in the 71st Marco Parolo replaced Milinkovic-Savic for Lazio.

More substitutions followed for both sides but there was still time for one more woodwork. In the 86th minute Correa ran at the defence om the left and squared the ball across to Parolo who hit a first time left footer but it hit the bar and went over. Lazio's fourth woodwork of the evening, surely a record in a derby.

Lazio then had a Lazzari goal disallowed in injury time for a Jony offside position. The game ended in a draw. Full time Lazio-Roma 1-1.

An entertaining game which Lazio would have deserved to win (23 shots to 7). Lazio were pleased to have come back from being behind at halftime and had shown to be superior to their rivals but frustrated at being denied the victory by the woodwork.

Derbies have often ended up 1-1 but rarely have they been as action packed as this one.

Who played for Lazio

Strakosha, Luiz Felipe (40' Bastos), Acerbi, Radu, Lazzari, Milinkovic-Savic (71' Parolo), Leiva, Luis Alberto, Lulic (78' Jony), Correa, Immobile