Emperor Cesar

Simon Basten
Apr 4, 2024
3 min read

Season 2003-04

Game 28, Serie A

Sunday, April 4, 2004

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Siena 5-2

Cesar scores three as Lazio demolish Siena coming from behind

At the end of the first half of the campionato Lazio were sixth, just two points off a possible Champions League qualification. They had beaten Juventus and Inter but lost the derby. In the second half of the season so far, they had lost just two games and were currently fourth in the company of Parma.

The match

Three minutes and Lazio were already ahead. Leandro Cufré fouled Simone Inzaghi just inside the Siena half. The Lazio forward took the freekick very quickly, surprising the Tuscan defence, Cesar raced forwards on the left in complete solitude and made it 1-0. The ball had still been moving when Inzaghi took the free kick but the referee was not looking.

Six minutes later, Cufré crossed from the right, the ball reached Simone Vergassola but Matteo Sereni managed to parry. Gianni Guigou collected it outside the box, dribbled past Demetrio Albertini and with a low clinical shot beat the Biancoceleste keeper.

Lazio in shock and Siena took courage. In the 25th minute a long ball from Nikola Lazetic reached Rodrigo Taddei who beat Massimo Oddo for speed, went around Sereni and scored.

Five minutes later the Biancocelesti equalised. Sinisa Mihajlovic took a free kick on the right near the by-line. He crossed low in the box but the Siena defence cleared, ball to Cesar on the left who crossed again, Inzaghi let it pass and Stefano Fiore made it 2-2 from close range.

Lazio took control and almost made it three when a Luciano Zauri header on an Oddo cross from the right shaved the post. At this point Roberto Mancini made a surprise substitution. In came Bernardo Corradi for Claudio Lopez.

Just before the end of the first half there was a free kick for Lazio. Almost dead centre, 30 meters out, perfect for Mihajlovic. The Serb tried a shot, it was deflected by the wall but became a perfect assist for Cesar who made it 3-2.

Siena could have equalised immediately when Lazetic crossed into the box and Tore Andre Flo tried a header but it was saved by Sereni.

In the 49th minute Lazio closed the game. Inzaghi dispossessed a Siena defender, ball to Fiore on the right, splendid cross towards the other side and Cesar scored his hat-trick.

After Fiore had accidentally hit his own crossbar with the ball coming off his shoulder following a corner, the Biancocelesti made it five in the 77th minute. Zauri came into the box from the left, Guigou anticipated Corradi and left the ball for Marco Fortin. A second of indecision was enough for the Lazio centre forward who managed to get to it and beat the Siena keeper for the fifth time.

Good win for the Biancocelesti who were able to overturn a moment of difficulty.

Who played for Lazio

Sereni, Oddo, Stam, Mihajlovic, Zauri, Fiore (82’ Couto), Albertini, Dabo, Cesar, Inzaghi (73’ Muzzi), Claudio Lopez (40’ Corradi)