October 20, 2012: Lazio Milan 3-2
Made it complicated
Lazio’s magnificent first hour was enough to withstand a late Milan fightback at the Olimpico
The season so far
Edy Reja had left after the end of the previous season and Lazio had given the keys to the squad to Vladimir Petkovic, a Swiss national of Bosnian origin, who had had a successful coaching career in Switzerland.
Lazio had added Ederson and Michael Ciani in the summer.
The Biancocelesti were doing rather well. They were third with Inter, four points behind leaders Juventus and Napoli.
The match
Lazio produced one of their most impressive performances of the early 2012-13 season to beat Milan 3-2 at the Stadio Olimpico on October 20, 2012.
For an hour, Vladimir Petkovic’s side were outstanding. Hernanes, Antonio Candreva and Miroslav Klose put Lazio three goals ahead, with Milan struggling to cope with the home side’s movement, intensity and attacking quality.
The visitors eventually found a response through Nigel de Jong and Stephan El Shaarawy, but Lazio held on to claim a deserved victory and move to within four points of leaders Juventus.
There was an unexpected change before kick-off. Federico Marchetti was forced to withdraw after suffering a thigh problem during the warm-up, leaving Albano Bizzarri to take his place in goal.
Otherwise, Petkovic fielded the side that had established itself near the top of the table: Bizzarri behind Abdoulay Konko, Giuseppe Biava, André Dias and Senad Lulic, with Cristian Ledesma anchoring a midfield containing Candreva, Alvaro Gonzalez, Hernanes and Stefano Mauri. Klose was the lone striker.
Milan initially looked comfortable enough. Massimiliano Allegri's team enjoyed possession during the opening stages and Lazio were forced to remain disciplined without the ball. But as the game progressed, the home side began to impose themselves. Their midfield had greater balance and energy, while Hernanes, Mauri and Candreva increasingly found space between the Milan midfield and defence.
The breakthrough came after 25 minutes.
Hernanes collected the ball outside the penalty area and unleashed a left-footed shot towards the far corner. Daniele Bonera got a touch to the effort, but the deflection only made it more difficult for Marco Amelia, who could do nothing as the ball changed direction and flew into the net.
The goal gave Lazio confidence, but Milan almost responded immediately. El Shaarawy broke into the area and appeared to have beaten Bizzarri with a low left-footed shot. Dias, however, produced a magnificent intervention on the goal line to keep Lazio ahead. The Brazilian defender celebrated the clearance almost like a goal of his own.
It proved to be an important moment.
Lazio were becoming increasingly dangerous and, shortly before half-time, doubled their advantage in spectacular fashion. Candreva won possession, carried the ball forward and, from around 30 metres, unleashed a fierce right-footed drive. Amelia could only watch as the shot flew into the corner.
It was 2-0 and Lazio had been rewarded for an increasingly authoritative first-half performance.
Milan made a change at half-time, replacing Kevin-Prince Boateng with Urby Emanuelson and switching to a 4-4-2. But the change had barely had time to settle before Lazio struck again.
Four minutes into the second half, Candreva delivered from the right and found Klose inside the penalty area. The German striker had remarkably been left unmarked and made no mistake, meeting the cross with his right foot and beating Amelia for Lazio's third goal.
At 3-0, the match appeared to be over.
Lazio were playing with confidence and Milan looked completely disjointed. The visitors had struggled to create chances and, for long periods, Petkovic's side appeared capable of adding a fourth. Hernanes came close when a powerful effort was parried by Amelia, while Gonzalez was unable to turn the rebound towards goal.
But Milan finally began to respond.
Allegri introduced Alexandre Pato and pushed his side forward. The pressure eventually produced a goal in the 61st minute. Emanuelson's dangerous free-kick was delivered into the penalty area and Nigel De Jong arrived to turn the ball into the net.
The goal changed the mood of the game.
Milan suddenly looked far more aggressive, while Lazio began to retreat. Petkovic made his first substitution by replacing Mauri with Luis Pedro Cavanda, and later brought on Lorik Cana for Alvaro Gonzalez as Lazio attempted to protect their advantage.
Then, with eleven minutes remaining, Milan reduced the deficit again.
Pato supplied El Shaarawy, who cut inside from the right before firing a right-footed shot towards goal. Bizzarri was unable to keep it out and suddenly the score was 3-2.
What had looked like a comfortable Lazio victory was now anything but.
Milan sensed that an extraordinary comeback was possible and pushed forward in search of an equaliser. Lazio, who had controlled almost everything for the first hour, were now forced to defend much deeper. The Rossoneri continued to attack, but their pressure lacked the precision needed to produce a third goal.
Lazio survived the final assault.
Candreva, one of the outstanding players of the evening, was eventually replaced by Cristian Brocchi with seven minutes remaining as Petkovic sought to see out the game. The final whistle finally arrived after four minutes of added time, confirming a 3-2 victory.
The result lifted Lazio to 18 points after eight matches, leaving them third in the Serie A table, just four points behind Juventus. Milan, meanwhile, suffered their fifth defeat in their opening eight league games and were left with only seven points.
The late collapse in intensity ensured that the evening ended with some nervous moments, but it could not disguise the bigger picture.
Lazio had beaten Milan convincingly, moved firmly into the title race and provided another indication that Petkovic's team could compete with the strongest sides in Italy.
Who played for Lazio
Bizzarri, Konko, Biava, Dias, Lulic, Candreva (83' Brocchi), Hernanes, Ledesma, A. Gonzalez (72' Cana), Mauri (58' Cavanda), Klose
Manager: Petkovic
Who played for Milan
Amelia, Abate, Bonera, Yepes, Antonini (85' Bojan), Montolivo, De Jong, Nocerino (52' Pato), Boateng (46' Emanuelson), Pazzini, El Shaarawy
Substitutes: Gabriel, Petkovic, De Sciglio, Acerbi, Mexes, Flamini, Constant
Manager: Allegri
Referee: Tagliavento
Goals: 25' Hernanes, 41' Candreva, 49' Klose, 61' De Jong, 79' El Shaarawy
What happened next
Lazio started the season promisingly and by the end of the first half were second. The Champions League looked possible. But in the next 19 games the Biancocelesti won just six times so top tier Europe was not going to be a possibility. They finished seventh.
In the Europa League Lazio did very well. After beating Mura in the playoff in August, Lazio topped their group (Tottenham, Panathinaikos and Maribor the opponents), and later eliminated Borussia Mönchengladbach and Stuttgart. They faced Fenerbahçe in the quarterfinals but they lost in Turkey following a horrendous refereeing display and were not able to overcome the deficit in the return match.
The glory came with the Coppa Italia. In the fourth round Lazio had beaten Siena in the penalty shootout after Ciani saved the campaign with a last second equaliser and Juan Pablo Carrizo stopped two penalties. Things went smoother in the quarterfinals with a 3-0 win over Catania.
In the semi-finals Lazio had to face Juventus. In the first leg in Turin Lazio managed to draw 1-1 thanks to a number of miracles from goalkeeper Federico Marchetti and another last gasp goal from Stefano Mauri.
In the return match, Lazio scored with Alvaro Gonzalez in the beginning of the second half and it looked as if the Biancocelesti had secured the final. But a Stefan Radu mistake in the second minute of injury time gave Juventus the equaliser.
Extra time was on the cards but a Sergio Floccari header with one minute to go gave Lazio the ticket for the final. A ticket which was about to be thrown away as Juventus had an open goal chance in the 95th minute but Claudio Marchisio kicked the ball wide.
The final would be against Roma who had eliminated Inter in the other semi-final. This was to be the first Roman derby in a cup final. Whoever won would have their names in the history books.
Lazio won the Cup thanks to a goal from Senad Lulic in the now famous 71st minute. Among the most important wins in the history of the club, it gave the players eternal glory, Lulic is now worshipped like a Saint, and Lazio qualified for the following season’s Europa League. One of the best seasons ever.
Let’s talk about Giampaolo Pazzini
Giampaolo Pazzini was born in Pescia, Tuscany, on August 2, 1984.
A product of the Atalanta youth academy, he made his senior debut for the Bergamo club in 2003 and quickly established himself as one of Italy’s most promising young strikers.
Originally deployed in a wider role, he developed into a classic centre-forward, combining physical strength, intelligent movement in the penalty area and a particular talent for scoring with his head.
In January 2005, Pazzini joined Fiorentina, where he spent four seasons and made 108 appearances, scoring 25 goals. He moved to Sampdoria in January 2009, and it was in Genoa that his career really took off.
Playing alongside Antonio Cassano, Pazzini became one of Serie A's most dangerous strikers. He scored 15 goals in the second half of the 2008-09 season and continued to flourish during the following campaign.
One of the defining moments of his career came on April 25, 2010, when Sampdoria travelled to face Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.
Roma, coached by Claudio Ranieri, had gone 24 Serie A matches unbeaten and were challenging Inter for the Scudetto. Francesco Totti put the hosts ahead, but Pazzini turned the match around after half-time, scoring twice to give Sampdoria a remarkable 2-1 victory. His second goal, scored in the 85th minute, completed the comeback and effectively ended Roma's hopes of winning the title.
Pazzini finished the 2009-10 Serie A season with 19 goals and helped Sampdoria finish fourth, securing a place in the Champions League qualifying rounds. He remained with the club until January 2011, scoring 36 goals in 75 league appearances.
In January 2011, Pazzini moved to Inter. He made an immediate impact, scoring twice on his debut against Palermo, and was part of the squad that won the Coppa Italia that season. During his time at Inter he scored 16 goals in 50 league appearances, although his opportunities became more limited during his second season.
In August 2012, Pazzini crossed Milan once again, joining Milan in a deal that also involved Antonio Cassano moving in the opposite direction. He made an explosive start, scoring a hat-trick against Bologna in only his second appearance for the club. In three seasons at San Siro, he scored 21 Serie A goals and 24 in all competitions.
Pazzini later enjoyed the final major chapter of his career at Hellas Verona. Signed in 2015, he became a key figure for the club and was particularly prolific in Serie B, scoring 23 goals during the 2016-17 campaign as Verona won promotion back to Serie A. He also spent the second half of the 2017-18 season on loan at Levante in Spain before returning to Verona.
With Verona, Pazzini scored 50 goals in all competitions. He left the club in 2020 and announced his retirement from professional football later that year.
Pazzini won 25 caps for Italy and scored four goals. He represented the Azzurri at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Known affectionately as "Il Pazzo", Pazzini finished his career with 569 official appearances and 191 goals.
He was a quintessential penalty-area striker: aggressive, instinctive and particularly effective in the air, with a knack for appearing at precisely the right moment.
For Lazio supporters, however, one memory stands above the rest: that extraordinary April evening at the Olimpico in 2010, when his two goals turned Roma's title challenge upside down.
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