When the going gets tough … Immobile provides a solution

Simon Basten
Apr 16, 2024
2 min read

Season 2021-22

Game 33, Serie A

Saturday, April 16, 2022

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Torino 1-1

Lazio manage to equalise in the last moments of the match thanks to Immobile

The season started well with two wins but then became very inconsistent. Great wins (Inter, Roma), great collapses (Bologna, Verona, Napoli), completely incapable of finding some kind of happy medium.

The Biancocelesti were currently sixth, two points behind Roma. The Champions League bus had long gone, but there was still a concrete chance to qualify for the Europa League. Lazio were two points ahead of Fiorentina and three more than Atalanta. A win today would be important.

The match

The game was enjoyable though the teams did not create any big chances. One had to wait until the 29th minute when on a corner taken by Ricardo Rodriguez saw Bremer rise high and attempt a header which hit the woodwork. Samuele Ricci tried another header which Thomas Strakosha palmed over the crossbar. In the 34th minute another chance for the visitors. Ola Aina from the right crossed low in the box, Andrea Belotti missed the ball which anyway reached Mergim Vojvoda whose shot hit the outside of the net.

Lazio finally dangerous in the 39th minute. Freekick taken by Luis Alberto, long ball in the box, in went Sergej Milinkovic-Savic whose fantastic volley was well saved by Etrit Berisha.

In the 50th minute another Rodriguez corner reached Armando Izzo who with a header beat Strakosha but not Felipe Anderson who on the line managed to clear. The Granata goal however did not take long to arrive. Another Rodriguez corner in the 56th minute found Pietro Pellegri who this time headed the ball past Strakosha.

Lazio woke up, finally, and pressed for an equaliser. In the 77th minute Danilo Cataldi took a corner, the ball was half cleared but reached Milinkovic-Savic just inside the box. Splendid header and wonderful save from Berisha.

In the second minute of added time, Milinkovic sent in a perfect cross, Berisha was in no man’s land and Ciro Immobile headed the ball into the net for Lazio’s equaliser.

The Biancocelesti did not have much time left but pressed for a winner. In the 94th minute Cataldi with a splendid shot from outside the box shaved the post.

All in all, a fair result.

Who played for Lazio

Strakosha, Lazzari, Patric (43' Luiz Felipe), Acerbi, Marusic, Milinkovic-Savic, Leiva (69' Cataldi), Luis Alberto (69' Basic), Felipe Anderson (85' Romero), Immobile, Zaccagni