El Valdanito indicates the way to Europe
- Dag Jenkins
- Mar 3, 2023
- 4 min read
Game 25, Serie A
Sunday, March 3, 2002
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Venezia 4-2
A Crespo hat-trick puts the Aquilotti within striking distance of a UEFA slot
The season had started with three lacklustre draws which led the club to substitute manager Dino Zoff with Alberto Zaccheroni. The Biancocelesti had not really improved initially with 1 win, 2 draws and 3 defeats (including derby 0-2) in the first 6 games. Then came five consecutive wins (including Juventus 1-0) but it did not last and since then the Biancocelesti had won 2 (including recent 1-0 with Atalanta), drawn 3 and lost 4. Lazio were currently 7th on 33 points, five behind Milan in the last European UEFA slot.
Venezia were currently bottom of the table on 15 points. The Lagunari had won 3, drawn 6 (including Milan 1-1 away and Lazio 0-0 at home) and lost 15 (including recent 1-4 to Milan at home).
Lazio had to win today to have any chance of catching up with the Euro zone.
The match
There were about 40,000 fans at the Olimpico on a grey but dry afternoon.
Lazio had no real absences while Venezia played Brazilian defender Fábio Bilica in place of Simone Pavan.
The first twenty minutes were played mainly in midfield. Lazio attacked more but only had a couple of attempts off target.
In the 20th minute Venezia almost scored when Uruguayan forward Federico Magallanes set up Mauro Bressan on the right inside the area, his low strike was good but hit the side netting only giving the optical illusion of a goal.
In the 24th minute Lazio went in front. Stefano Fiore did well on the right and crossed into the middle where Hernan Crespo outjumped his markers and headed past Rossi, 1-0
Lazio then controlled the proceedings without risking anything and doubled their lead just before halftime. It was not too different from the first goal except this time Fiore floated in a freekick and it was Beppe Pancaro who headed in, 46th minute and 2-0.
There was still time for another goal before the break as in the 48th minute Giuliano Giannichedda's foot was touched from behind just as he was about to shoot and the referee awarded a penalty. Crespo blasted a mid-height central shot to make it 3-0.
There were no changes during the interval but in the 52nd minute Ciccio Colonnese was forced off injured after a filthy late tackle by Stefano Bettarini. His place was taken by Dino Baggio.
In the 56th minute Lazio almost closed the game but Simone Inzaghi one-on-one with the keeper was denied by a brilliant save.
Three minutes later the visitors brought on forward Arturo Di Napoli and midfielder Ighli Vannucchi and took off Magallanes and Bressan
In the 64th minute Lazio replaced "Inzaghino" with Claudio Lopez.
In the 68th minute the Arancioneroverdi pulled a goal back. On a freekick Bettarini curled his shot over the wall and into the top hand corner to Angelo Peruzzi's left, 3-1.
It seemed like a classic consolation goal but five minutes later the Venetians grabbed another. In the 73rd minute they had a central indirect freekick from just inside the box, Di Napoli took it and hit the wall but then it spun up to Maniero who was quick to head it in. A slightly lucky goal but suddenly game on, 3-2.
Game on but for only about two minutes as in the 75th minute "El Valdanito" got his hat-trick. After a defensive hesitation Crespo picked up the ball outside the area on the left, he went past two defenders and from just inside the box let loose a perfect low strike towards the far post, 4-2. A superb goal.
Both sides made one more substitution each; in the 78th minute Fabian Valtolina came on for Ivone De Franceschi and in the 81st Lucas Castroman replaced Dejan Stankovic.
Lazio had a reassuring two-goal lead but towards the end the Lagunari had a massive triple chance to still give themselves some hope. Peruzzi dived to his right and parried a Valtolina shot, the ball fell to Di Napoli who hammered it onto the crossbar and then on the second rebound Maniero fired it over. Final score Lazio 4 Venezia 2.
No nervous last minutes for Lazio who earned a good three points for their European hopes. Lazio had seemed home and dry at halftime before letting their guard down and conceding two goals albeit from freekicks. Luckily for the Biancocelesti Crespo's almost immediate response had saved them from any further worries.
Lazio were on 36 points, still 7th but now only two points behind 6th placed Milan who had lost the derby.
Venezia looked doomed on 15 points and now thirteen from safety (Piacenza on 28).
Next up for Lazio was the derby.
Who played for Lazio
Peruzzi, Colonnese (52' D.Baggio), Nesta, F.Couto, Pancaro, Poborsky, Giannichedda, Fiore, Stankovic (81' Castroman), Crespo, S.Inzaghi (64' C.Lopez)
Substitutes: Concetti, Mihajlovic, Liverani, Mendieta
Manager: Zaccheroni
Who played for Venezia
Rossi, Conteh, Bilica, Viali, Bettarini, Bressan (59' Vannucchi), Andersson, Marasco, De Franceschi (78' Valtolina), Maniero, Magallanes (59' Di Napoli)
Substitutes: Brivio, Balleello, Cvitanovic, Lai
Manager: Magni
Referee: Morganti
Goals: 24' Crespo, 46' Pancaro, 48' Crespo (pen), 68' Bettarini, 73' Maniero, 75' Crespo
Sources
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