May 7 2017: Lazio-Sampdoria 7-3
- Dag Jenkins
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 5 hours ago
Seven goals for Europe
Lazio demolish Samp and clinch Europa League qualification
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had finished 8th. The Biancocelesti had played 31 league games under Stefano Pioli and then the last 7 with Simone Inzaghi. They had reached the last 16 of Europa League (after failing to get through the CL preliminary round against Bayer Leverkusen) and the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia.
This year Marcelo Bielsa had been chosen but "El Loco" lived up to his name and resigned after only a few days due to divergences over transfer market issues. At this point Simone Inzaghi was called back.
The main new signings were goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha (Salernitana - end of loan), defenders Bastos (Rostov), Jordan Lukaku (Oostende), Wallace (Braga), midfielder Luís Alberto (Liverpool) and striker Ciro Immobile (Sevilla - via Torino on loan).
Leaving were goalkeeper Etrit Berisha (Atalanta - on loan), defenders Edson Braafheid (end of contract), Santiago Gentiletti (Genoa), Abdoulay Konko (end of contract), Mauricio (Spartak Moscow - on loan), midfielders Antonio Candreva (Inter), Ogenyi "Eddy" Onazi (Trabzonspor), Stefano Mauri (end of contract) and striker Miroslav Klose (retired). So, a few players difficult to replace.
The Serie A season had started with a 4-3 away win at Atalanta followed by a 0-1 home defeat by Juventus and a 1-1 away draw at Chievo Verona. Since then Lazio had done well: winning 19 (including Genoa 3-1), drawing 5 and losing 6 (including derby 0-2). The Biancocelesti came from a triumphant 3-1 derby win and were currently 4th on 67 points (+3 on Atalanta, +8 Milan and +11 Inter). Third place and a Champions League slot was out of reach and held by Napoli on 74 points.
In the Coppa Italia had defeated Genoa 4-2 at home and Inter 2-1 away to set up a semi-final against eternal rivals Roma. In the first home leg on March 1 the Biancocelesti had won 2-0 (Milinkovic-Savic, Immobile) while in the return game on April 4 they "suffered" a harmless 2-3 defeat. The final would be on May 17 against Juventus at the Olimpico.
Sampdoria the previous season had finished 15th, on 40 points and only 2 points from relegation. They had started with Walter Zenga (1-12) and finished with Vincenzo Montella (13-38). The Genoese had drawn 1-1 with Lazio in Rome and won 2-1 at home. The top scorer was Éder with 13 goals (12 in A).
This season the manager was Marco Giampaolo. The main novelties in the squad were: defenders Jacopo Sala (Verona), Vasco Regini (Napoli - back from loan), Bartosz Bereszyński (Legia Warsaw - in January) and Dodô (Inter), midfielders Filip Duričić (Anderlecht via Benfica), Karol Linetty (Lech Poznań), Bruno Fernandes (Udinese), Lucas Torreira (Pescara - back from loan) and Dennis Praet (Anderlecht) plus forwards Patrik Schick (Sparta Prague) and Ante Budimir (Crotone).
Leaving Samp were: defenders Mattia Cassano (Bari), Modibo Diakité (Ternana - in January), Andrea Ranocchia (Inter - end of loan), Djamel Mesbah (Crotone), Niklas Moisander (Werder Bremen) and Lorenzo De Silvestri (Torino), midfielders Fernando (Spartak Moscow), Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (AEK Athens), David Ivan (Bari - on loan), Roberto Soriano (Villarreal) plus forwards Joaquín Correa (Sevilla), Alejandro Rodriguez (Cesena) and Antonio Cassano (Verona but then retired).
The Blucerchiati were currently in mid-table, 10th on 46 points. They had won 12 (including both derbies 2-1 and 1-0, Inter home and away 1-0 and 2-1, Roma 3-2 at home and Milan 1-0 away), drawn 10 (including recent 1-1 away at Torino) and lost 12 (including Lazio 1-2 at home). An unpredictable side.
In the Coppa Italia they reached the last 16 but then lost 0-4 away to Roma. They had previously beaten Bassano Virtus and Cagliari both 3-0 at home.
Lazio had more incentives than Sampdoria today. The Biancocelesti were going for the Europa League while the Blucerchiati did not have much to play for.
The match: Sunday, May 7, 2017, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
A warm and sunny day in the capital attracted about 45,000 to the Olimpico.
Lazio were only missing midfielder Marco Parolo while Sampdoria had no real absences but had Bruno Fernandes and Luis Muriel on the bench.
The game already looked to be heading Lazio's favour after only a few minutes. In the 3rd minute Sergej Milinkovic-Savic brilliantly set up Keita Balde in front of Christian Puggioni who touched the Senegalese's powerful strike but was unable to prevent it going in, 1-0.
Sampdoria's reaction and good play by Patrick Schick forced Thomas Strakosha to a double save, first on Filip Duričić and then on Karol Linetty.
In the 18th minute Keita was fouled inside the box by Martin Skriniar and the referee pointed to the penalty spot and lifted a red card in the Slovakians direction as he was also last man. Ciro Immobile sent Puggioni the wrong way with a perfect low shot into the right corner, 2-0.
As they say "when it rains it pours" and forward Schick then limped off injured so Sampdoria manager Marco Giampaolo reorganised Doria's setup by taking off forward the Czech and putting on defender Vasco Regini.
Keita almost got his brace a few minutes later when he drilled a low left foot just wide of the right post.
In the 32nd minute the visitors surprisingly pulled a goal back. Bartosz Bereszyński squared a low ball from the right, defender Wallace and forward Fabio Quagliarella failed to get a touch and it reached an unmarked Linetty who scored from close range, 2-1.
It only gave the illusion of reopening the contest as four minutes later Lazio scored again. In the 36th minute from a Lucas Biglia corner Wesley Hoedt got his thigh to the ball near the goal line and pushed it over, 3-1.
Two minutes later Lazio piled more misery on Samp and scored a fourth. In the 38th minute Felipe Anderson put away a central penalty for a foul by Angelo Palombo on Senad Lulic.
In the 45th minute things got worse for the Ligurians as Stefan de Vrij scored Lazio's fifth with a surgical, low right foot from outside the area from a cut back Biglia pass, 5-1 at halftime.
For the second half the Blucerchiati fielded defender Daniel Pavlović instead of former Roma, Dodô.
The game looked more like a training exercise. In the 63rd minute Lazio made a double substitution; Gabarron Patric for de Vrij and Alessandro Murgia for Milinkovic-Savic.
Two minutes later the Biancocelesti got their sixth of the afternoon. In the 65th minute Patric crossed from the right byline and Lulic twisted his body and turned a header into the left corner, 6-1.
More substitutions followed, for Lazio Cristiano Lombardi replaced Biglia and for Samp defender Jacopo Sala took Bereszynski's place.
Lazio however were not finished and in the 70th minute scored again. Immobile got his brace and 22nd league goal by finishing off a good team move by Anderson and Keita, 7-1.
Two minutes later Sampdoria remedied the situation slightly by scoring with Quagliarella who latched onto a long ball by Regini, brought it down beautifully and beat Strakosha, 7-2.
The visitors were then awarded a very generous penalty in the last minute for a theatrical dive by Lucas Torreira. Quagliarella blasted the spot kick centrally past Strakosha to give the scoreline a more dignified appearance. Final score: Lazio 7 Sampdoria 3.
A convincing win by Lazio who were officially qualified for the following year's Europa League. The game was virtually over after the first half, courtesy of the Biancocelesti's fire power and Sampdoria being down to ten men.
It was the first time Lazio had scored 7 goals since 1995 (Fiorentina 8-2). Lazio were 4th on 70 points (+5 on Atalanta and +11 on Milan).
Sampdoria had approached the game with a slack attitude and once down to ten men never stood much of a chance against Lazio on today's attacking form. It was the first time they had conceded 7 goals since 1961 (Udinese 1-7). Sampdoria were still 10th on 46 points.
Who played for Lazio
Strakosha, Wallace, de Vrij (63' Patric), Hoedt, Lukaku, Milinkovic-Savic (63' Murgia), F.Anderson, Biglia (68' Lombardi), Immobile, Lulic, Keita
Manager: S.Inzaghi
Who played for Sampdoria
Puggioni, Bereszynski (69' Sala), Silvestre, Skriniar, Dodò (46' Pavlovic), Barreto, Torreira, Linetty, Djuricic, Quagliarella, Schick (20' Regini)
Substitutes: Falcone, Krapikas, Simic, Alvarez, Cigarini, Praet, Fernandes, Muriel, Budimir
Manager: Giampaolo
Referee: Mazzoleni
Goals: 3' Keita, 19' Immobile (pen), 32' Linetty, 36' Hoedt, 38' F.Anderson (pen), 45' de Vrij, 65' Lulic, 70' Immobile, 72' Quagliarella, 90' Quagliarella (pen)
Red Card: 18' Skriniar
What happened next
The Biancocelesti finished 5th and qualified for the Europa League. After today's game they lost the next three games (Fiorentina 2-3 away, Inter 1-3 at home and Crotone 1-3 away. A poor ending but Lazio had already done enough to get into Europe. The highlight in the league had obviously been defeating Roma 3-1 on April 30 despite a scandalous penalty for the Giallorossi (the famous Strootman theatrical simulation). The top scorer was Ciro Immobile with 26 goals (23 in A).
In the Coppa Italia final Lazio were defeated 0-2 by Juventus.
Sampdoria finished 10th, on 48 points. In the next three games they drew 2 (Chievo at home and Udinese away, both 1-1) and lost 1 (Napoli 2-4 at home). The top scorers were Muriel and Schick with 13 total goals while only in Serie A it was Quagliarella with 12.
The Scudetto was won by Juventus for the 33rd time and 6th consecutive. The Bianconeri therefore won the double. The three teams sadly waving goodbye were Empoli, Palermo and Pescara (the Palermitani and Pescaresi have not been back since but all three are currently in B).
Let’s talk about: Duje Javorčić
Duje Javorčić was born in Split, on November 25, 1999.
He went through all the various youth age levels with Hajduk Split before joining RNK Split U-17s in 2014. He also started playing for Croatia U-17s.
In June 2016 he signed for Lazio. He took part in the first team squad's pre-season training camp but was then added to the U-19s list for the season.
He played two seasons for the Primavera (U-19s). He was occasionally also an unused substitute for the first team.
Javorčić at 1.83 was a strong midfielder with good skills and athleticism but was unable to properly express these talents at Lazio.
In August 2018 he was sold to Amiens Sporting Club in France (in Ligue 2). The following year he was at FC Nitra (Slovakia), then NK Dugopolje (Croatia), Rudar Pljevlja (Montenegro) and then back to RNK Split. He has been without a contract since 2023-24.
Javorčić is one of the many youngsters who show potential but for one reason or another never make it at a high level.
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