Hail Marcos Antonio
Game 33, Serie A
Wednesday, May 3 2023
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio-Sassuolo 2-0
The boys from Brazil and a Basic tap-in enable Lazio to dream on
The teams
Maurizio Sarri was forced to make a few changes for that night's game. Midfielder Danilo Cataldi was out injured while defender Alessio Romagnoli was suspended. In their places Patric and Matias Vecino were in the starting line-up. A surprise was the omission of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic but he had been off form recently and was replaced by Marcos Antonio. In defence on the right Manuel Lazzari was chosen instead of Elseid Hysaj.
Sassuolo coach Alessio Dionisi also had a couple of players missing. Both striker Andrea Pinamonti and midfielder Maxime Lopez were suspended. They were replaced by Gregoire Defrel in attack and Pedro Obiang in the middle.
The match
For Lazio this was a must win game if they wanted to reach their Champions League dream. The opposition however were dangerous, worry-free in mid-table and had already beaten Juve, Milan, Atalanta and Roma that season.
Lazio started the match extremely well. Concentrated, precise, quick and dangerous. After not even two minutes Felipe Anderson intercepted the ball in midfield, ran half the length of the pitch, cut into the box and shot but Andrea Consigli parried and Marcos Antonio's shot on the rebound went well wide.
Lazio were looking sharp. In the 7th minute an excellent low through ball by Marcos Antonio into the area found an unmarked Matias Vecino who squared for Immobile and Ciro had no difficulty beating Consigli. However, the linesman had his flag up so it was over to VAR. After a lengthy check the goal was given and Lazio celebrated again. Then, just as the teams prepared to re-start, the referee received orders to back pedal for an offside, not on the goal move itself, but Immobile in the build up. The technology may be advanced but the humans operating it still have some way to go.
Lazio were not deterred and pushed forward. In the 11th minute Luis Alberto pulled his shot wide. Then a minute later a perfect assist by Luis Alberto put Immobile through on the left, he entered the box and tried to curl it round the keeper but Consigli dived to his left and saved and on the rebound Vecino was unable to coordinate his body to strike properly.
It was Lazio again in the 14th minute. A brilliant, floating, vertical assist by Marcos Antonio reached Anderson in front of goal, Felipe brought the ball down and beat Consigli with a right foot across goal. Lazio 1 Sassuolo 0. Thoroughly deserved.
Five minutes later Mattia Zaccagni tried the house speciality, he dribbled, cut inside from the left and curl the ball to the opposite post but too much this time.
Sassuolo finally showed signs of life on the half hour mark. Davide Frattesi, the former Roma youth player, crossed from the left by line and Matheus Henrique on the other side hit the side netting with a good opportunity.
In the 35th minute Lazzari had one of his famous offensive forays but after a long run his low, left foot was blocked by Consigli. In the 45th minute Sarri was forced into a first substitution as Vecino had a muscular problem and was replaced by Milinkovic-Savic.
Just before halftime Sassuolo had a huge chance. Berardi fed Frattesi in the area, he cleverly went round Nicolò Casale and from close range hammered the ball onto the crossbar. The bar is probably still shaking and the shot was so hard that the ball then landed outside the area and went into touch.
Half time Lazio 1 Sassuolo 0. Lazio were certainly the better team so far but the Emiliani were starting to threaten gradually.
Second half
Sassuolo replaced a subdued Armand Lauriente with Nedim Bajrami.
Sassuolo start ed on the front foot and were constantly on the attack. It was Lazio however who had the first chance. On a defensive blunder Marcos Antonio suddenly had a clear shot at goal but rushed it and the ball flew over the bar.
From now on it was all Sassuolo. In the 62nd minute Frattesi teed up Gregoire Defrel but the former Roma player dragged his left shot wide from an extremely favourable position. In the 70th minute Domenico Berardi had a powerful low, angled shot but Ivan Provedel did well to dive low to his left to block, pulling off an excellent save.
In the meantime in the 68th minute Lazio replaced Immobile with Pedro and Adam Marusic with Elseid Hysaj. There was still no stopping the Neroverdi tide as they dominated possession and pile forward.
Lazio's only break from defending came in the 84th minute when Toma Basic, who had come on for a cramp-ridden Marcos Antonio, shot just wide of the post with a low left foot.
Then it was all "Sasôl" again. In the 89th minute Norwegian Kristian Thorstvedt put in a venomous low cross into the small area and Patric, facing the goal, lunged and put it out for a corner, seriously risking an own goal but ultimately saving the day. From the subsequent corner an ever present Frattesi header went over the bar.
There were 5 minutes of stoppage time. An eternity at that point. Luckily after two had passed Basic won a challenge in midfield and Sassuolo were unbalanced. Felipe Anderson found Zaccagni on the left, he entered the box and squared a perfectly dosed ball to the incoming Basic who tapped in. Lazio 2 Sassuolo 0.
Lazio won a hard fought battle against an initially poor but then extremely tough and dangerous Sassuolo. The results coming through on the radio's were positive too, both Roma and Milan had drawn. Lazio's Champions League dream continues.
Who played for Lazio
Provedel, Lazzari, Casale, Patric, Marusic (68' Hysaj), Marcos Antonio (73' Basic), Vecino (45' Milinkovic-Savic), Luis Alberto, Felipe Anderson, Immobile (68' Pedro), Zaccagni
Substitutes: Maximiano, Adamonis, Pellegrini, Radu, Gila, Bertini, Fares, Cancellieri
Manager: Sarri
Who played for Sassuolo
Consigli, Zortea (73' Toljan), Ferrari, Ruan (88' Erlich), Rogerio, Matheus Henrique, Obiang (81' Thorstvedt), Frattesi, Lauriente (46' Bajrami), Defrel (72' Alvarez Martinez), Berardi
Substitutes: Pegolo, Russo, Marchizza, Romagna, Harroui, Ceide
Manager: Dionisi
Referee: Irrati
Goals: 14' Anderson, 92' Basic
Bookings : Lauriente, Dionisi, Luís Alberto, Berardi, Tressoldi, Zortea, Marusic, Toljan, Lazzari
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