Game 3, Europa League Group Stage
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Stade de Nice (Allianz Riviera), Nice
Nice-Lazio 1-3
Two Sergej Milinkovic-Savic second half goals give Lazio important win on Côte d'Azur
The season had started in fantastic style. On August 13, Lazio had defeated Juventus 3-2 to win the Supercoppa Italiana. Lazio went 2-0 up with two Immobile goals but Paulo Dybala responded with a late brace of his own before Alessandro Murgia got Lazio’s winner in the 93rd minute. Lazio lifted their 4th Supercoppa.
In Serie A the Biancocelesti had played 8 games and won 6 (including Milan 4-1 and Sassuolo 6-1 both at home), drawn 1 (SPAL 0-0 at home on debut) and lost 1 (Napoli 1-4 at home). Lazio's most recent game had been an epic 2-1 away win at Juventus with Thomas Strakosha saving a Dybala 94th minute penalty. Lazio were currently joint 3rd with Juventus on 19 points.
In today's competition, the Europa League, Lazio had played 2 and won 2 (Vitesse 3-2 away and Zulte Waregem 2-0 at home).
A confident and in form Lazio went up to the Côte d'Azur for this European game.
Nice, like Lazio had also won their first two matches (Zulte Waregem 5-1 away and Vitesse 3-0 at home).
Tonight's clash was a battle to take control of the group, and already put a foot in the next round.
The match
A crowd of about 20,000 gathered at the Allianz Riviera.
Both sides made several changes compared to their recent league games. Nice left out Jean Seri and Allan Saint-Maximin all together while Alassane Pléa was on the bench. Lazio changed six players compared to the win in Turin with Stefan de Vrij, Lucas Leiva, Luis Alberto and Ciro Immobile all on the bench. The Biancocelesti did have 7 games in 23 days.
Nice started well and scored almost immediately. In the 4th minute Wesley Sneijder was left free to cross from the left by Bastos and Patric and Luiz Felipe was then overpowered by Mario Balotelli who headed in for Nice. A shock start and Nice 1 Lazio 0.
Fortunately for Lazio they equalised within a minute. In the 5th minute, on a long ball out of defence by Luiz Felipe, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic headed on into the area where Dante shielded the ball waiting for the keeper to claim it but they hesitated too long and Felipe Caicedo got in between them and the ball ricocheted off the Ecuadorian and Yoan Cardinale and ended up in the net. An awful defensive blunder but Caicedo had done well not to give up. Nice 1 Lazio 1.
Lazio then had shots by Davide Di Gennaro over the bar in the 12th minute and a more dangerous one by Patric just wide in the 19th.
In the 35th Lazio had an even bigger chance to take the lead. On a Nani long range shot Cardinale was hesitant again and was unable to block the ball which reached Stefan Radu but the Romanian's close-range strike went high. Half time came with the score still level, 1-1.
Nice had more territorial domination and possession (70-30%) but Lazio gave the impression that when they did attack they were more dangerous.
There were no changes at the break. There was a scare for Lazio early on when in the 48th minute Thomas Strakosha dived low and gathered the ball with his hands right on the edge of the box but then, either just dropping it or releasing it intentionally fearing his impetus would carry him out of the area, he lost it and Balotelli had an open goal but from an angle and his shot sailed wide. Huge chance.
In the 59th minute Inzaghi decided it was time to put a few big guns on. Luis Alberto replaced Di Gennaro and Ciro Immobile came on for Nani.
The move was soon rewarded. In the 65th minute Lazio pressed high and won the ball back which Radu played in to Caicedo on the left by-line inside the area, the Ecuadorian pulled back a perfect low pass to Milinkovic-Savic who with the inside of his foot beat Cardinale. Nice 1 Lazio 2.
A few minutes later in the 69th minute Luis Alberto and Immobile combined well but this time Cardinale was safe on Ciro's cross goal effort.
Nice's reaction was mainly in long distance efforts by Balotelli. In the 71st minute Pléa came on for Pierre Lees-Melou and in the 75th Lazio buttoned up by bringing on Lucas Leiva for Caicedo.
In the 81st minute Plea had a low shot from just inside the area but it was too central and Strakosha saved and then gathered.
In the 88th minute Nice made another change, throwing on midfielder Bassem Srarfi for defender Christophe Jallet.
A minute later however, Lazio closed out the game. On a Luis Alberto corner from the left, Milinkovic-Savic was the quickest to get to the ball on the front post and headed in. Nice 1 Lazio 3 and final score.
A good win for Lazio who had struck in the right moments. The Biancocelesti had sat back for large parts of the game and intentionally left the initiative to the hosts but when they accelerated they exposed the French defence’s frailties. Dante in particular had a bad night and Cardinale was far from safe.
Lazio now had 9 points and topped the group. In two weeks’ time on November 2 Lazio would play Nice in Rome and have the chance to definitely kill off the group.
Who played for Nice
Cardinale, Marlon, Dante, Le Marchand, Burner, Lees-Melou (71' Plea), Mendy, Walter, Jallet (88' Srarfi), Sneijder, Balotelli
Substitutes: Benitez, Saar, Souquet, Koziello, Lusamba
Manager: Favre
Who played for Lazio
Strakosha, Bastos, Luiz Felipe, Radu, Patric, Murgia, Di Gennaro (59' Luis Alberto), Milinkovic-Savic, Lulic, Nani (59' Immobile), Caicedo (75' Leiva)
Manager: Inzaghi
Referee: Thomson (Scotland)
Goals: 4' Balotelli, 5' Caicedo, 65' Milinkovic-Savic, 89' Milinkovic-Savic
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