Volcanic Rocchi

Simon Basten
Mar 8, 2023
3 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Season 2008-09

Game 27, Serie A

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Stadio San Paolo, Naples

Napoli Lazio 0-2

A Rocchi brace gives Lazio important win

In the campionato it was not a good year. Lazio went top after six games but then fell back. However, after the first part of the season they were only four points from the holy fourth place which allowed a Champions League qualification but now it was eight points away and the Biancocelesti were 7th in the company of Cagliari.

The match

It was Lazio who took control of the match early on, even threatening Nicolas Navarro’s goal a couple of times. But the first real scoring chance belonged to the Neapolitans: in the 6th minute, a long pass from Michele Pazienza, a clever first-time touch by Marek Hamsik, and a left-footed shot on the run by Ezequiel Lavezzi forced Fernando Muslera into a brilliant save.

Lazio dropped back into defence and Napoli grew in confidence, though they made too many mistakes in the final pass. In the 16th minute, the Neapolitans came close again: a cross from Pazienza found Marcelo Zalayeta unmarked, but he headed over the bar. Lazio responded in the 22nd minute: Aleksandar Kolarov made a run down the left and played the ball inside to Mauro Zarate, who missed it, then Cristian Brocchi slid in but sent it into the side netting. In the 36th minute, Napoli threatened once more: a cross from Mariano Bogliacino on the left was met by Zalayeta, whose header again went over the crossbar. Just before halftime, Matteo Contini committed a bad foul, elbowing Zarate hard in the neck, but referee Saccani did not intervene.

In the second half, Napoli started strongly. Lazio struggled, were pinned back in their own area, and were unable to counterattack. Coach Delio Rossi tried to change things by bringing on Tommaso Rocchi for Zarate. It proved decisive: in the 57th minute, the substitute burst forward on the counterattack, perfectly set up by Pasquale Foggia with his very first touch, catching the Napoli defence badly out of position, and beat Navarro with a right-footed shot on the run.

Napoli refused to give in and pushed forward desperately in the search of an equaliser, but for the San Paolo crowd the cold shower came in the 64th minute. After a free kick from the left taken by Cristian Ledesma and deflected by the wall, Rocchi found space, controlled the ball, and slotted it home with a left-footed shot just inside the post.

The home fans began to whistle their own players. Lazio calmly managed the game, kept possession, and still threatened on the counter. Then it was celebration time, with three more points taking them to 41 in the standings. It was Lazio’s third consecutive 2–0 victory.

Who played for Napoli

Navarro, Santacroce (66' Maggio), Cannavaro, Contini, Aronica, Pazienza (73' Russotto), Blasi, Bogliacino, Hamsik, Lavezzi, Zalayeta (71' Denis)

Substitutes: Bucci, Rinaudo, Montervino, Pià

Manager: Reja

Who played for Lazio

Muslera, Lichtsteiner, Siviglia,Cribari, Kolarov, Brocchi, Ledesma, Matuzalem (71' De Silvestri), Foggia (63' Mauri), Pandev, Zarate (56' Rocchi)