Lazio take advantage back to Rome

Dag Jenkins

Feb 5, 20244 min read

Season 2003-04

Coppa Italia Semi Final, First Leg

Thursday, February 5, 2004

Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan

Milan Lazio 1-2

Lazio go two goals up and then survive Milan comeback to take lead into second leg

Lazio had reached this semi-final by first beating Modena 3-0 and then Parma 3-1, both on aggregate. In the league the Biancocelesti were currently joint 5th, with Parma.

Milan, under manager Carlo Ancelotti, had qualified by eliminating Sampdoria 2-0 and Roma 4-2, both on aggregate.

The Rossoneri had already won silverware this season by clinching the European Super Cup beating Porto 1-0 and were also top of Serie A, five points clear of Juventus and Roma. They had however lost another two finals on penalties, to Juventus in the Italian Supercoppa and Boca Juniors in the Intercontinental Cup.

So, unless it went to penalties, Milan were considered favourites in this tie.

The match

A sparse crowd turned up for this quarter final on a cold, humid Thursday, February evening.

Milan were top of Serie A and also still in the Champions League so they decided to rest a few players. The Rossoneri were missing keeper Dida, defenders Paolo Maldini and Billy Costacurta, midfielders Massimo Ambrosini and Clarence Seedorf and above all striker Andrij Shevchenko while Cafu, Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo and Kakà were all on the bench.

Lazio played with what looked more like their regular first team. Massimo Oddo was dropped for tactical reasons and Angelo Peruzzi made space for the cup keeper Matteo Sereni.

The game started with a bang. After not even 30 seconds Martin Laursen passed the ball back to Christian Abbiati who tried to give it back to him but was pounced on by Stefano Fiore and the ball ricocheted into the back of the net. Milan 0 Lazio 1. A howler by Abbiati and a nightmare start for Milan but unbelievable for Lazio.

Former Milan player Demetrio Albertini tried to repay the favour by messing up a pass in midfield giving way to Milan's counterfoot, as a first touch Jon Dahl Tomasson pass put Filippo Inzaghi one-on-one with Sereni but a brilliant last ditch tackle by Fernando Couto saved the day and then Tomasson shot wide.

In the 21st minute Tomasson again, on a long, high cross from midfield, tried a looping header but Sereni saved into corner.

A few minutes later Lazio responded with a perfect through ball by Fiore to Bernardo Corradi at the edge of the box but he was challenged by two defenders and he sliced his shot wide.

In the 33rd minute Fiore rose high on a Sinisa Mihajlovic corner but was off target.

Soon after Mihajlovic tried with the speciality of the house, a central freekick from the well outside the box. He struck it well, it cleared the wall and was dipping into the left hand corner but Abbiati did well to dive low and put it into corner.

From the corner Lazio doubled their lead. Mihajlovic floated it in and the Milan defence cleared but only as far as Corradi who sent a low left footed strike towards goal where Couto was lurking and deflected the ball in. Milan 0 Lazio 2.

Lazio were in control but Milan managed to pull a goal back just before halftime. In the 47th minute on a low, vertical Rui Costa cross towards the near post, Filippo Inzaghi anticipated Mihajlovic flicked and it in on the far post. A classic Inzaghi goal, even if in suspect offside. Milan 1 Lazio 2. Just what Milan needed and just what Lazio were desperate to avoid. Halftime Milan 1 Lazio 2.

There were no changes for the second half. Lazio did not just sit back and defend and in the 52nd minute César had space to take aim with a header from an Albertini cross but a defender walled it into corner.

Then Lazio had a huge chance in the 53rd minute but a long range, low Albertini shot came back off the post.

Lazio continued to be dangerous and in the 60th minute César was just anticipated in front of goal after a Fabio Liverani back heel had set up Jaap Stam's cross. Liverani had just come on for Roberto Muzzi.

In the 62nd minute Milan too made their first substitution, bringing on striker Marco Borriello for defender and former Lazio, Beppe Pancaro.

Milan finally started to apply some pressure on the visitors' defence. Borriello inside the area turned and shot but Sereni was alert and dived to his right and parried.

In the 71st minute Lazio replaced a tired César with Claudio Lopez and in the 77th minute Milan brought on Brazilian duo Cafu-Kakà for Dario Simic and Filippo Inzaghi.

Lazio had to defend in the last ten minutes with several shots blocked by defenders in a crowded area. The Biancocelesti were then saved by Sereni who pulled off a superb save on a Borriello header going towards the bottom left corner.

There followed a potential penalty for Milan as Giuliano Giannichedda appeared to handball in the area but the referee did not notice.

The last chance of the game was in fact for the Romans but, following a quick counterattack, Stefano Fiore pulled his shot just wide of the left post. Final score Milan 1 Lazio 2.

In the 84th minute Lazio put on an extra defender, Beppe Favalli, for a midfielder, Stefano Fiore and saw out the match without any more real scares.

A great win for Lazio who could look with optimism to the return leg in Rome just under a week's time. Milan would need to win by two goals or by one in a high scoring game but would also probably have to play some of their stars from the word go.

Who played for Milan

Abbiati, Simic (77' Cafu), Laursen, Nesta, Pancaro (62' Borriello), Brocchi, Rui Costa, Redondo, Serginho, F.Inzaghi (77' Kakà), Tomasson

Substitutes: Fiori, Gattuso, Pirlo, Abate

Manager: Ancelotti

Who played for Lazio

Sereni, Stam, F.Couto, Mihajlovic, Zauri, Albertini, Giannichedda, Fiore (84' Favalli), Muzzi (57' Liverani), César (71' C.Lopez), Corradi