The return of the Alien

Simon Basten
Apr 8, 2024
2 min read

Season 1998-99

Cup Winners Cup, Semi Final, First Leg

Thursday, April 8, 1999

Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow

Lokomotiv Moscow Lazio 1-1

Boksic returns from injury and scores fundamental goal

In the Cup Winners Cup, the Biancocelesti had so far eliminated Lausanne on away goals, Partizan Beograd 3-2 on aggregate and Panionios 7-0. Today was the first leg of the semifinals.

The match

A very difficult game for the Biancocelesti on an awful pitch in front of a packed house. Lokomotiv Moscow surprised Sven-Goran Eriksson with a 3-5-2 setup and a lot of running. Lazio were forced to defend with ten men, only Christian Vieri up front. But in the ten minutes of initial forcing all the hosts could muster was an Aleksey Smertin shot saved by Luca Marchegiani and an Evgeniy Khalachev volley over the crossbar.

The Biancocelesti realised that perhaps the Russian bear was not that fierce after all. A Sinisa Mihajlovic corner was headed onto the crossbar by Vieri in the 13th minute and suddenly the Russians were scared. Vieri towered over all of them so the Lazio tactic of long high balls to their centre-forward looked like the best tactic. The Biancocelesti continued to create half chances: a Mihajlovic free kick in the 25th minute saved by the keeper, and another chance for Vieri on a Marcelo Salas assist, well parried by Ruslan Nigmatullin five minutes later.

In the second half Lazio went into difficulty. First only an exceptional save from Marchegiani denied Kharlachev a goal and the keeper had previously had to save a Zaza Dzanashia shot deflected by Attilio Lombardo. It was the prelude to the Moscow goal. In the 61st minute long ball into the Lazio half, Beppe Pancaro headed it back only to find Dzhanashia who beat Mihajlovic for speed, dribbled past Marchegiani and deposited the ball into the net.

Eriksson first took off Vieri and put in Alen Boksic, back on the pitch after five months, and then Roberto Mancini for Salas. These substitutions would be fundamental. Lokomotiv were close to a second in the 68th minute when Dimitri Bulikin advanced undisturbed for 40 metres but when he got close to Marchegiani his shot was weak and Luca saved into corner.

In the 77th minute the Biancocelesti equalised. Long ball from Pancaro to Boksic just outside the box. The Alien headed the ball to Dejan Stankovic on the right who rushed into the penalty area and crossed low towards the centre, Mancini back heeled to the upcoming Boksic and it was 1-1.

Lazio almost went ahead, but the draw stood. Biancocelesti with the away goal advantage for the return leg.

Who played for Lokomotiv Moscow

Nigmatullin, Arifullin, Chugainov, Cherevchenko, Gourenko (84' Borodiuk), Lavrik (85' Maminov), Smertin (46' Loskov), Drozdov, Karlachev, Dzanashia, Bulikin

Substitutes: Poliakov, Pachinine, Sarkissian, Ryndyouk

Manager: Syomin

Who played for Lazio

Marchegiani, Pancaro, Negro, Mihajlovic, Favalli, Stankovic, Almeyda, De La Peña, Lombardo, Vieri (63' Boksic), Salas (73' R.Mancini)