Seven goals for Europe
- Dag Jenkins
- May 7, 2024
- 4 min read
Game 35, Serie A
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio-Sampdoria 7-3
Lazio demolish Samp and clinch Europa League qualification
The Serie A season had started with a 4-3 away win at Atalanta followed by a 0-1 home defeat by Juventus and a 1-1 away draw at Chievo Verona. Since then Lazio had done well: winning 19 (including Genoa 3-1), drawing 5 and losing 6 (including derby 0-2). The Biancocelesti came from a triumphant 3-1 derby win and were currently 4th on 67 points (+3 on Atalanta, +8 Milan and +11 Inter). Third place and a Champions League slot was out of reach and held by Napoli on 74 points.
Sto arrivando!mpdoria were currently in mid-table, 10th on 46 points. They had won 12 (including both derbies 2-1 and 1-0, Inter home and away 1-0 and 2-1, Roma 3-2 at home and Milan 1-0 away), drawn 10 (including recent 1-1 away at Torino) and lost 12 (including Lazio 1-2 at home). An unpredictable side.
Lazio had more incentives than Sampdoria today. The Biancocelesti were going for the Europa League while the Blucerchiati did not have much to play for.
The match: Sunday, May 7, 2017, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
A warm and sunny day in the capital attracted about 45,000 to the Olimpico.
Lazio were only missing midfielder Marco Parolo while Sampdoria had no real absences but had Bruno Fernandes and Luis Muriel on the bench.
The game already looked to be heading Lazio's favour after only a few minutes. In the 3rd minute Sergej Milinkovic-Savic brilliantly set up Keita Balde in front of Christian Puggioni who touched the Senegalese's powerful strike but was unable to prevent it going in, 1-0.
Sampdoria's reaction and good play by Patrick Schick forced Thomas Strakosha to a double save, first on Filip Duričić and then on Karol Linetty.
In the 18th minute Keita was fouled inside the box by Martin Skriniar and the referee pointed to the penalty spot and lifted a red card in the Slovakians direction as he was also last man. Ciro Immobile sent Puggioni the wrong way with a perfect low shot into the right corner, 2-0.
As they say "when it rains it pours" and forward Schick then limped off injured so Sampdoria manager Marco Giampaolo reorganised Doria's setup by taking off forward the Czech and putting on defender Vasco Regini.
Keita almost got his brace a few minutes later when he drilled a low left foot just wide of the right post.
In the 32nd minute the visitors surprisingly pulled a goal back. Bartosz Bereszyński squared a low ball from the right, defender Wallace and forward Fabio Quagliarella failed to get a touch and it reached an unmarked Linetty who scored from close range, 2-1.
It only gave the illusion of reopening the contest as four minutes later Lazio scored again. In the 36th minute from a Lucas Biglia corner Wesley Hoedt got his thigh to the ball near the goal line and pushed it over, 3-1.
Two minutes later Lazio piled more misery on Samp and scored a fourth. In the 38th minute Felipe Anderson put away a central penalty for a foul by Angelo Palombo on Senad Lulic.
In the 45th minute things got worse for the Ligurians as Stefan de Vrij scored Lazio's fifth with a surgical, low right foot from outside the area from a cut back Biglia pass, 5-1 at halftime.
For the second half the Blucerchiati fielded defender Daniel Pavlović instead of former Roma, Dodô.
The game looked more like a training exercise. In the 63rd minute Lazio made a double substitution; Gabarron Patric for de Vrij and Alessandro Murgia for Milinkovic-Savic.
Two minutes later the Biancocelesti got their sixth of the afternoon. In the 65th minute Patric crossed from the right byline and Lulic twisted his body and turned a header into the left corner, 6-1.
More substitutions followed, for Lazio Cristiano Lombardi replaced Biglia and for Samp defender Jacopo Sala took Bereszynski's place.
Lazio however were not finished and in the 70th minute scored again. Immobile got his brace and 22nd league goal by finishing off a good team move by Anderson and Keita, 7-1.
Two minutes later Sampdoria remedied the situation slightly by scoring with Quagliarella who latched onto a long ball by Regini, brought it down beautifully and beat Strakosha, 7-2.
The visitors were then awarded a very generous penalty in the last minute for a theatrical dive by Lucas Torreira. Quagliarella blasted the spot kick centrally past Strakosha to give the scoreline a more dignified appearance. Final score: Lazio 7 Sampdoria 3.
A convincing win by Lazio who were officially qualified for the following year's Europa League. The game was virtually over after the first half, courtesy of the Biancocelesti's fire power and Sampdoria being down to ten men.
It was the first time Lazio had scored 7 goals since 1995 (Fiorentina 8-2). Lazio were 4th on 70 points (+5 on Atalanta and +11 on Milan).
Sampdoria had approached the game with a slack attitude and once down to ten men never stood much of a chance against Lazio on today's attacking form. It was the first time they had conceded 7 goals since 1961 (Udinese 1-7). Sampdoria were still 10th on 46 points.
Who played for Lazio
Strakosha, Wallace, de Vrij (63' Patric), Hoedt, Lukaku, Milinkovic-Savic (63' Murgia), F.Anderson, Biglia (68' Lombardi), Immobile, Lulic, Keita
Manager: S.Inzaghi
Who played for Sampdoria
Puggioni, Bereszynski (69' Sala), Silvestre, Skriniar, Dodò (46' Pavlovic), Barreto, Torreira, Linetty, Djuricic, Quagliarella, Schick (20' Regini)
Substitutes: Falcone, Krapikas, Simic, Alvarez, Cigarini, Praet, Fernandes, Muriel, Budimir
Manager: Giampaolo
Referee: Mazzoleni
Goals: 3' Keita, 19' Immobile (pen), 32' Linetty, 36' Hoedt, 38' F.Anderson (pen), 45' de Vrij, 65' Lulic, 70' Immobile, 72' Quagliarella, 90' Quagliarella (pen)
Red Card: 18' Skriniar
Sources
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