Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday July 30, 2002
Anfield Road, Liverpool
Liverpool Lazio 0-1
With a César goal Lazio win at Anfield
The Biancocelesti were in pre-season training and today was the first game of their UK tour with a highly prestigious match against Liverpool.
The match
Despite the fact that Lazio risked not having the money to register for this year’s Serie A, the players did not seem to be affected and put on a marvellous display. It should have been a friendly but the Brits treated the game as if it were an important competitive one and the Biancocelesti quickly adapted.
The Reds started well and had a couple of chances with Bruno Cheyrou in the 6th minute, and Michael Owen in the 20th, but Lazio were certainly not timid and Hernan Crespo too had a chance early on. In the 18th minute Dejan Stankovic gave a long ball to Stefano Fiore who tried an acrobatic volley which went just wide. In the 39th minute the Serb had a shot parried by Jerzy Dudek.
The goal was in the air and it came in the 43rd minute. Jaap Stam on the left to Claudio Lopez, cross for Cesar who anticipated the defence and scored.
In the second half Liverpool put their foot on the accelerator and had numerous chances to equalise. Luca Marchegiani saved on Bernard Diomède in the 52nd minute and Nick Barmby seven minutes later. The biggest chance was in the 70th minute when Paolo Negro made a bad back pass, Milan Baros took advantage, dribbled past Marchegiani, but Fernando Couto then managed to remedy the situation. Towards the end of the game Alessandro Nesta made his seasonal debut.
Prestigious win for Lazio and good start to Mancini’s reign.
Who played for Liverpool
Dudek, Babbel (46' Xavier), Hyypia (77' Wright), Traore (46' Henchoz), Riise (46' Vignal), Smicer (46' Barmby), Hamann (46' Murphy), Cheyrou (73' Mellor), Diomede, Owen (60' Baros), Diouf (67' Berger)
Substitutes: Arphexad, Biscan
Manager: Houllier
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani (81’ Concetti), Pancaro (70’ Colonnese), Stam (46’ Negro), Couto (72’ Nesta), Favalli (42’ Oddo), Fiore (59’ Gottardi), Stankovic (59’ Giannichedda), Liverani (59’ Baronio), Cesar (80’ D.Baggio), Crespo (59’ S.Inzaghi), C.Lopez
Manager: Mancini
Referee: Halsey
Goal: 43’ Cesar
Sources
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