Greens see red as Lazio win

Dag Jenkins
Sep 30, 2023
4 min read

Season 2015-16

Game 2, Europa League Group G

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Saint Étienne 3-2

Helped along the way by two French sendings off Lazio suffer but hold on to victory

In the Europa League so far, Lazio had obtained their only draw of the season, 1-1 away at Dnipro in Russia but the hosts had equalised in the 94th minute after Sergej Milinkovic-Savic had put Lazio ahead in the first half. This evening was Lazio's first home game in a group which included tonight's opposition Saint-Étienne and Rosenborg from Norway.

On their Europa League debut, Saint-Étienne had drawn 2-2 at home to Rosenborg. To get to the group stage they had eliminated Tārgu Mureş (Romania) 4-2 and Milsami (Moldova) 2-1, both on aggregate.

An important game in Rome tonight between the two sides initially seen as the favourites in Group G.

The match

A small crowd of about 15,000 turned up for this awkward 7pm Thursday evening kick-off.

Lazio were missing defender Stefan de Vrij, midfielders Marco Parolo, Senad Lulic and Antonio Candreva plus forwards Miro Klose and Filip Djordjevic.

Saint-Étienne had defenders Florentin Pogba and Kévin Théophile-Catherine plus midfielder Jérémy Cement unavailable.

The French started off better than Lazio. The visitors went in front after only six minutes when Senegalese defender Moustapha Bayal Sall fortuitously made contact with a corner by Roumain Hamouma with the Lazio defenders passive bystanders, 0-1.

Lazio almost equalised immediately but Wesley Hoedt's header was well saved by Stéphane Ruffier.

The French went even closer to doubling their lead when Nolan Roux' lob from a difficult angle hit the crossbar.

In the 22nd minute Lazio drew level. Felipe Anderson went down the right and crossed, Stefano Mauri could not make contact but the ball fell to Eddy Onazi whose precise low strike found the net, 1-1.

Just after the half hour the "Les Verts" were down to ten men. In the 32nd minute Slovenian Robert Berić was judged to have elbowed Mauricio and was given his marching orders.

The visitors however were still dangerous with Hamouma but he was off target from a good position.

The last opportunity of the half was for Lazio when a clever Lucas Biglia found Mauri in the box but his half volley went over the bar. Half time 1-1.

For the second half the Biancocelest took off an injured Mauricio (broken nose) and put on Santiago Gentiletti.

In the 48th minute the Romans took the lead. On a Biglia freekick the French keeper mistimed his jump and Hoedt poked the ball home with his left foot, 2-1, the Dutchman's first goal for Lazio.

Lazio then tried to slow the game down and keep possession.

In the 63rd minute the visitors' coach Galtier changed two players bringing on Ismaël Diomandé and Jean-Christophe Bahebeck for Hamouma and Benjamin Corgnet.

Lazio responded a minute later replacing Mauri with striker Alessandro Matri.

The fresh French midfielder Bahebeck immediately had a chance but his left footed cross goal effort was blocked by Etrit Berisha.

In the 74th minute both sides made one more substitution: Danilo Cataldi for Onazi for the hosts and Kévin Monnet-Paquet for Roux for "Les Stéphanois".

In the 77th minute it looked like the end for Sainté as they were reduced to nine men. Sall committed a dirty foul on Felipe Anderson and received his second yellow of the evening.

In the 80th minute it definitely seemed like curtains for L'ASSE as Lazio scored again. A Biglia strike was deflected by Pierre-Yves Polomat to put the Roman Eagles 3-1 up.

The game however was not over and in the 84th minute Monnet-Paquet lobbed Berisha with a lovely finish, 3-2.

Against ten men but with only a single goal cushion Lazio did not deal with the situation well and towards the end Saint-Étienne almost equalised with a Vincent Pajot header. The referee, to Lazio's relief, blew up after only two minutes of additional time. Final score Lazio 3 Saint -Étienne 2.

A good European win for Lazio albeit with too much suffering first against ten men and then especially nine men.

Lazio now had 4 points and topped the group with Dnipro who had beaten Rosenborg in Norway. Next up for Lazio were the home and away clashes with the side from Trondheim.

Who played for Lazio

Berisha, Basta, Mauricio (46' Gentiletti), Hoedt, Radu, Onazi (74' Cataldi), Biglia, Felipe Anderson, Milinkovic-Savic, Keita, Mauri (64' Matri)