Kozak, Kozak, Kozak

Simon Basten
Mar 14, 2023
3 min read

Updated: Mar 23

Season 2012-13

Europa League, Round of 16, Second Leg

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Stuttgart 3-1

A Kozak hat trick gives Lazio the quarter finals of the Europa League

In Europa League, after beating Mura 05 in the playoff in August, Lazio topped their group (Tottenham, Panathinaikos and Maribor the opponents) and eliminated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Round of 32. In the first leg of the Round of 16 they had won 2-0 in Stuttgart and had more than a foot in the quarter finals.

The match

Lazio completed the job against VfB Stuttgart to become the first Italian side to reach the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals. After securing a 2–0 win in Germany, the Biancocelesti triumphed 3–1 in a behind-closed-doors match at the Stadio Olimpico. The round-of-16 return leg was decided by a hat-trick from Libor Kozák, who moved to the top of the tournament’s scoring charts with eight goals, while Stuttgart’s goal was scored by Hungarian midfielder Tamás Hajnal. Despite struggling in domestic competition, Vladimir Petković’s team once again proved lethal in Europe, extending their unbeaten run to twelve matches. It was a fully deserved result, built on two convincing performances, allowing Lazio to eliminate another Bundesliga side after having already knocked out Borussia Mönchengladbach in the previous round. The Biancocelesti thus celebrated a return to the “magnificent eight” of European competition for the first time in ten years, since reaching the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 2002/03 against FC Porto. Without the suspended Lorik Cana and the injured André Dias, Petković overhauled the team that had lost 2–0 to ACF Fiorentina on Sunday evening, making six changes. The only players retained — along with goalkeeper Federico Marchetti — were Bruno Pereirinha, Ștefan Radu, Hernanes, and Senad Lulić.

There was also rotation from Stuttgart coach Bruno Labbadia, who changed five players from the side beaten at home by Hamburger SV. In defence, full-backs Gōtoku Sakai and Cristian Molinaro replaced Antonio Rüdiger and Arthur Boka, while William Kvist, Ibrahima Traorè, and Martin Harnik made way for Federico Macheda, Shinji Okazaki, and Hajnal.

Stuttgart started brightly, forcing Marchetti into an early save as he tipped Raphael Holzhauser’s long-range drive out for a corner. It proved a false dawn, however, as Lazio took the lead in the 6th minute: from Radu’s cross from the left, Stuttgart’s defence switched off and Kozák finished from close range. Qualification was effectively sealed, and three minutes later Petković’s side removed any remaining doubt. Hernanes released Kozák, who outpaced Georg Niedermeier and beat Sven Ulreich again with a powerful right-footed strike that clipped the crossbar on its way in.

With Lazio now in complete control, free kicks from Hernanes and Antonio Candreva tested Ulreich, who did well to keep the scoreline respectable. The interval arrived on 2–0, following the introduction of substitute goalkeeper Albano Bizzarri in place of the injured Marchetti, forced off after a collision with Vedad Ibišević.

Early in the second half, the Argentine keeper produced fine saves from Sakai and Holzhauser, but in the 62nd minute he was beaten by Hajnal, who curled the ball into the corner after Kozák’s short clearance from Sakai’s cross. Bizzarri redeemed himself with an outstanding reflex save from Christian Gentner, before a flurry of substitutions followed. Niedermeier went close to making it 2–2, but in the 86th minute it was Kozák — who had earlier missed a clear chance — who sealed the 3–1 win with a diving header from Candreva’s cross.

The Czech striker thus scored his eighth goal in the UEFA Europa League, becoming joint top scorer of the competition alongside Édinson Cavani. Lazio, meanwhile, claimed their eighth victory in twelve European matches and booked their place in the quarter-finals.

Who played for Lazio

Marchetti (43' Bizzarri), Pereirinha, Biava, Ciani, Radu, Candreva, Onazi, Hernanes (74' Ederson), Lulic, Mauri (64' Ledesma), Kozak