Late drama but Lazio hold on to win
- Dag Jenkins
- Apr 21, 2023
- 5 min read
Game 32, Serie A
Sunday, April 21, 2002
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio-Verona 5-4
Despite being four goals up with ten minutes to go Lazio risk throwing it away
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 6 (including Perugia 5-0), drawn 6 (including Juventus 1-1 and Inter 0-0 both away) and lost 5 (including derby 1-5...and Verona 1-3). Lazio were however unbeaten in the five games since the awful derby and came from two consecutive wins (including 1-0 away in Florence a week earlier). Lazio were currently 7th on 47 points, only one point behind Milan in the last European UEFA slot.
Lazio were favourites today against Verona but the visitors were not mathematically safe yet so would surely put up a fight.
The match
A showery day brought about 40,000 spectators to the Olimpico.
Lazio were missing defender Paolo Negro and midfielder César but had striker Hernan Crespo back at least for the bench after just over a month out.
Verona were without defenders Massimo Oddo and Marco Zanchi plus forwards Alberto Gilardino and Adrian Mutu.
Lazio took only two minutes to threaten the Verona goal as on a bouncing ball at the edge of the box a defender hesitated and failed to clear so was anticipated by Claudio Lopez but the Argentine hammered the ball over the bar.
In the 5th minute "El Piojo" prepared his shot well on the right side of the area but his low strike shaved the post.
In the 10th minute Verona surprisingly took the lead but not without some controversy. Fernando Couto running back towards the box on the right seemed in control but was challenged by Mauro Camoranesi and fell to the ground so the visitors' winger raced into the box and squared low to an unmarked Mario Frick in the middle who had no problem beating Angelo Peruzzi, 0-1. From the replay it seemed the Verona player had clipped Couto's leg but the referee gave the goal.
Verona were on a high and in the 13th minute were dangerous again. Frick crossed from the left and Camoranesi anticipated Beppe Favalli but his volley went just wide.
The Gialloblu smelt blood and in the 18th minute Frick turned well and hit a curling right foot which hit the top of the crossbar and went over.
Lazio gradually settled and in the 29th minute they equalised. Lopez put in a high cross from the right and Jaap Stam lunged forward, got a foot to it and volleyed, the ball hit the ground and spun up hitting the underside of the crossbar and went over the line, 1-1.
After their initial difficulties it was now Lazio who had enthusiasm on their side. Favalli crossed, Lopez teed up Dejan Stankovic inside the box on the left but the Serb's thundering shot was saved into corner by Fabruzio Ferron. Following the subsequent corner, Stankovic moved forward along the by-line and with the outside of his foot flicked a cross towards the far post where Daio Dainelli, possibly worried by the arrival of Stam, handballed instead of heading and gave away a clear penalty. Lopez smashed a medium height spotkick past Ferron, 2-1.
Just before halftime Lazio scored again. In the 44th minute Lopez was again the provider as he crossed from the left and Stankovic scored in a slightly unorthodox fashion by letting the ball bounce against his thigh but they all count, 3-1 at halftime.
After an awful first twenty minutes Lazio were now flying.
Things got even better in the 52nd minute as Stankovic got his brace in spectacular style. He was teed up by Fabio Liverani, however the Serb, at the edge of the box, still had it all to do but out of the hat he produced a brilliant chipped lob which went over and behind Ferron, 4-1. A wonderful goal.
At this point Verona started to make some changes; Adailton for Marino Melis in the 53rd minute and Alessandro Mazzola for Vincenzo Italiano in the 56th. Meanwhile in the 55th minute Diego Simeone came on for Liverani.
Verona then had a good curling effort by Adailton but Peruzzi was reactive and parried away.
In the 62nd minute Hernan Crespo finally made his return after his injury and replaced Stankovic who was applauded off the field.
In the 75th minute Lazio were reduced to ten men. The referee whistled a foul against Stam in attack and the Dutchman made it clear he disagreed but the referee was not having it and pulled out a yellow card for dissent which, added to the defender's previous booking, meant he was off. Stam was more than likely right but he had exaggerated in his reaction and found an oversensitive referee.
Despite being in ten men Lazio scored three minutes later. Beppe Pancaro, who had replaced Lopez two minutes earlier, perfectly dosed his cross from the right and Crespo headed in, 5-1.
Four goals up with just over ten minutes to go Lazio were surely home and dry…
In the 80th minute the Scaligeri pulled one back with an excellent long-range bullet by Leonardo Colucci, 5-2. It nevertheless seemed merely a consolation goal.
This was followed however by another visitor's goal in the 88th minute. Colucci hit a seemingly innocuous shot after his freekick was walled but Peruzzi uncharacteristically fumbled it and Michele Cossato lunged in, beating Alessandro Nesta to the ball, and scored 5-3.
Things still appeared under control for Lazio but the drama then changed to horror as in the 90th minute the Gialloblu scored again. Adailton surprised Peruzzi with a freekick on the far post, 5-4.
The game was turning into a potential nightmare for Lazio but fortunately there were only three minutes of added time and the Biancocelesti managed to scrape home with the win. Final score: Lazio 5 Verona 4.
A strange game. The visitors were on top for the first twenty minutes and could have scored more than the solitary goal. For the next hour Lazio dominated and buried the Veneti with five goals. At this point it seemed all over but helped by Stam's red card the Scaligeri incredibly scored three goals in the last ten minutes to seriously put Lazio's win in doubt.
Lazio were now 5th, on 50 points and only one behind Chievo in 4th (in last Champions League slot). A place in the most prestigious European competition, which until recently had seemed impossible, was now suddenly within reach. Next up was a trip to Bologna.
Verona were now joint 11th, on 39 points with Piacenza. Their cushion on Serie B however had been cut to two points (Brescia on 37). The positive fact was that there were two other teams between them and the relegation zone (Parma on 38 and Udinese on 37). With two games to go the Veronesi were worried but not panicking.
Who played for Lazio
Peruzzi, Stam, Nesta, F.Couto, Favalli, Castroman, Giannichedda, Liverani (55' Simeone), Stankovic (62' Crespo), Fiore, C.Lopez (76' Pancaro)
Substitutes: Marchegiani, Poborsky, Mendieta, S.Inzaghi
Manager: Zaccheroni
Who played for Verona
Ferron, Dainelli, P.Cannavaro, Teodorani, Cassetti, Italiano (56' Mazzola), L.Colucci, Melis (53' Adailton), Salvetti, Camoranesi, Frick (83' Cossato)
Substitutes: Nigmatullin, Montaño, Matteassi, Šerić
Manager: Malesani
Referee: Farina
Goals: 10' Frick, 29' Stam, 32' C.Lopez (pen), 45' Stankovic, 52' Stankovic, 78' Crespo, 80' L.Colucci, 88' Cossato, 90' Adailton
Red Card: 74' Stam
Sources
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