October 31, 2010: Palermo - Lazio 0-1
- Dag Jenkins
- Oct 31, 2025
- 9 min read
Dias volley and Muslera heroics keep Lazio top
A superb strike by the Brazilian plus the Uruguayan's saves give Lazio win in Sicily
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season had been an uphill struggle for Lazio who after winning the Supercoppa in August 2009 had an awful season.
At a certain point they were doing so badly that new coach Davide Ballardini was sacked and in came hardened veteran Edy Reja. They then improved enough to avoid relegation but the trauma of being involved in the battle to avoid the drop was a great motivator for a better 2010-11 campaign.
Reja had been confirmed and the main addition to the squad was talented Brazilian midfielder Hernanes known as “The Prophet”. In had also come dynamic Uruguayan midfielder Alvaro Gonzalez, known as 'El Tata'.
Leaving Lazio were Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) and fellow defenders Emilson Cribari (Napoli) and Sebastiano Siviglia (retired). Lazio had also said goodbye to Luciano Zauri, Roberto Baronio and local boy Davide Faraoni. Simone Inzaghi and Julio Cruz had retired.
The season had started very well for Lazio who despite losing the opener (Sampdoria) had 19 points. After their negative debut the Biancocelesti had then won 6 (including last four) and drawn 1 (Milan 1-1 at home). Lazio were top of the table, two points clear of Milan and four of Inter. The new signing Hernanes was proving to be an excellent buy.
In Coppa Italia only a few days earlier Lazio had beaten Portogruaro 3-0 at home. Next up would be Albinoleffe at home on November 25.
Palermo had finished 5th the previous year and qualified for the Europa League. The manager was first Walter Zenga (W4, D5, L4) until November 23, and then former Lazio Delio Rossi. The Sicilians best results were defeating Juventus 2-0 at home (still under Zenga) and away plus Milan 3-1 at home and 2-0 away. The Rosaneri had drawn 1-1 with Lazio away and won 3-1 at home. The top scorer was Fabrizio Miccoli with 22 goals (19 in A).
This season Rossi had stayed on. The main new arrivals were: defenders Kamil Glik (Piast Gliwice), Ezequiel Muñoz (Boca Juniors), Matteo Darmian (Padova, via Milan), midfielders Pajtim Kasami (Bellinzona), Nicola Rigoni (Vicenza), Josip Iličić and Armin Bačinovič (Maribor) plus forwards Massimo Maccarone (Siena) and Mauricio Pinilla (Grosseto).
Leaving were: defender Simon Kjær (Wolfsburg), midfielders Mark Bresciano (Lazio), Fábio Simplicio (Roma), Giovanni Tedesco (retired) plus forwards Edinson Cavani (Napoli) and Levan Mchedlidze (Empoli).
So far in Serie A the Palermitani had won 3 (including Juventus 3-1 away), drawn 2 and lost 3. They were currently 7th on 11 points with Sampdoria, Genoa and Lecce.
In the Europa League they had qualified for the group stage by defeating Maribor 5-3 on aggregate. They had so far won 1 (Lausanne 1-0 at home) but lost 2 (Sparta Prague 2-3 away and CSKA Moscow 0-3 at home).
A difficult game for Lazio today but the Biancocelesti wanted to keep up their dream start.
The match: Sunday, October 31, 2010, Stadio Renzo Barbera, Palermo
A crowd of 30,000 turned up in the stadium formerly known as La Favorita.
Palermo had to do without their striker Fabrizio Miccoli while Lazio were missing midfielders Mark Bresciano and Francelino Matuzalém.
The locals started better than Lazio and were on top for the first twenty minutes or so. The Rosanero had a chance in the first minute when, after a defensive error, Javier Pastore had a shot but it lacked power and Fernando Muslera saved.
The Sicilians attacked non-stop and found space, especially on the left side where Ferderico Balzaretti was particularly lively. Josip Iličic tried a curler but Muslera was ready. They had more shots by Pastore and Mauricio Pinilla but never seriously threatened Muslera.
Lazio absorbed the pressure and gradually came out of their shell. After twenty minutes the game became more balanced. Sergio Floccari had Lazio's first shot at goal.
In the 27th minute Lazio scored. Cristian Ledesma floated a freekick into the area from about 35 metres out on the right and it was met by André Dias who skilfully volleyed it under the crossbar with his right foot, 0-1. A brilliant goal.
Palermo lost some of their fire but in the 37th minute Muslera almost gifted them an equaliser when he kicked the ball straight at Pastore and it almost ricocheted into the goal.
In the 44th minute the hosts appealed for a penalty for a Stefan Lichtsteiner hand ball on a Balzaretti cross but the referee claimed it was involuntary (those were the days...). Halftime Palermo 0 Lazio 1.
For the second half Rossi took off Josip Iličić and brought on Abel Hernandez. The Uruguayan forward started off well but in the 57th minute was forced off injured and on came Massimo "Big Mac" Maccarone.
Lazio then had a chance to double their lead after a good Mauro Zarate-Hernanes move but Stefano Mauri waited a fraction too long and his shot was deflected wide for a corner by Cesare Bovo.
In the 64th minute Muslera saved superbly on a Pinilla scissor kick and then on the rebound Stefan Radu put his body in front of a Pastore strike and the ball spun out for corner.
In the 77th minute Lazio were reduced to ten men. Giuseppe Biava, already on a yellow, fouled Pinilla and was sent for an early shower. Edy Reja immediately threw on defender Guglielmo Stendardo and took off Hernanes.
It was now a siege by Palermo as Lazio played almost exclusively in their own half. Maccarone had a low diving header saved by Muslera and Mattia Cassani a left footed effort but it flew just off over the bar
In the 83rd minute Lazio buttoned up even more as they replaced Mauro Zarate with energetic Uruguayan midfielder Álvaro “El Tata" Gonzalez.
Palermo surged forward and in the 85th minute Muslera made two excellent saves in quick succession, first on a Pinilla header and then on a Cassani right footed effort.
Lazio resisted and in the 92nd minute tried to break up the home side's rhythm by taking off Mauri and putting on defender Lionel Scaloni.
The Biancoceleste bunker remained unviolated until the referee blew up after four minutes of added time. Final score Palermo 0 Lazio 1.
A great win for Lazio, the fifth in a row. It was far from straightforward but built on solid defending and an unbeatable Muslera. Lazio consolidated their league leadership and now had four points advantage on Inter and five on Milan (defeated 1-2 at home by Juventus).
Palermo had battled hard but came up against a cynical Lazio and Muslera at the top of his game. The Rosanero were now 10th with Genoa and Lecce on 11 points.
Who played for Palermo
Sirigu, Cassani, Munoz, Bovo, Balzaretti, Migliaccio, Bacinovic, Nocerino, Ilicic (46' Hernandez, 57' Maccarone), Pastore, Pinilla
Substitutes: Benussi, Darmian, Goian, Garcia, Kasami
Manager: Rossi
Who played for Lazio
Muslera, Lichtsteiner, Biava, Dias, Radu, Brocchi, Ledesma, Zarate (83' Gonzalez), Hernanes (78' Stendardo), Mauri (92' Scaloni), Floccari
Manager: Reja
Referee: Damato
Goal: 27' Dias
Red Card: 77' Biava
What happened next
Lazio ended up 5th and qualified for the Europa League. They lost the next two games (the derby 0-2 with two dubious penalties and Cesena 0-1) and were toppled from their leadership. The Biancocelesti then won 13 (including Inter 3-1), drew 5 and lost 9 (including the second derby). They fought for a Champions League place but three matches from the end lost the decisive game at Udine 1-2 and missed out. The top scorer was Hernanes with 12 goals (11 in A).
In Coppa Italia Lazio then eliminated Novara 3-0 but were then knocked out by Roma 2-1 in the last 16. Three derby defeats in a season, with four penalties, but luckily Lazio still held the record of four derby wins (1997-98).
Palermo finished 8th. Rossi was sacked in February (after 0-7 home defeat to Udinese) and replaced by Serse Cosmi but then Rossi returned again after another four games (3 defeats including derby against Catania 0-4 and 1 win Milan 1-0 at home). In total Palermo won 17 (including Roma 3-1, Juventus 2-1, Milan 1-0 at home and Roma 3-2 away), drew 5 and lost 16 (including Lazio 0-2 away). The top scorer was Javier Pastore with 13 goals (11 in A).
In Coppa Italia the Sicilian Eagles reached the final. They got the better of Chievo 1-0, Parma on penalties and Milan 4-3 on aggregate. In the final however they lost 1-3 to Inter's Triplete winning team (Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Champions League).
In Europa League they were then eliminated, they lost again to CSKA Moscow 1-3, drew with Sparta Prague 2-2 at home and won 1-0 in Lausanne. They finished 3rd behind the Russians and the Czechs.
As mentioned, Mourinho's Inter dominated in Italy and in the Champions League (Bayern Munich 2-0) while the Europa League was won by Porto who defeated Braga 1-0 in Dublin.
Let's talk about André Dias
André Gonçalves Dias was born in São Bernardo do Campo (São Paulo), May 15, 1979.
He started his football in local Palestra de São Bernardo. From there he joined his first professional club in 1998 when he moved to Paraná in Série A. He stayed with the Tricolor da Vila for three years making 44 appearances with 2 goals.
In 2002 he moved to top Brazilian club Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro but only for one year and played 11 times.
In 2003 he joined Paysandu. He played 32 times with 1 goal for Papão de Curuzu (Bogeyman of Curuzu) and then moved on.
In 2004 he signed for Goiás. He stayed two years with Verdăo (Big Green) playing 89 games with 4 goals.
In 2006 came his big break and he joined São Paulo. He became a regular in the centre of the Paulista defence and even became captain. He played four successful seasons with the O Clube da Fé (The faith Team). He made 136 appearances, scored 11 goals and won three consecutive Brazilian titles (2006-2008). In 2008 and 2009 he was included in the best league XI by Bola de Prata magazine. In 2009 he was voted Best Brazilian player of the season.
On February 1 2010 he began a European experience and joined Lazio. The Biancocelesti paid 2.5 million Euros and he signed a contract until 2013.
In his first four months in Rome he played 12 league games and scored 2 goals (Bologna, Genoa). Lazio finished 12th under Edy Reja (who took over from Ballardini on February 10) and Dias showed promise.
In fact, the next season Dias became the undisputed first choice centre-back and played 33 league games with 2 goals (Palermo, Napoli) and 1 game in Coppa Italia. Dias and Giuseppe Biava formed an excellent and reliable partnership in the middle and Lazio finished 5th.
In the 2011-12 season he played 23 league games,1 in Coppa Italia and 7 in the Europa League. Lazio had a good season finishing 4th and won both derbies.
The following season was not great in the league with a 7th position under new manager Vladimir Petkovic. Lazio and Dias however got the ultimate satisfaction in the Coppa Italia when they beat city rivals Roma 1-0 in the final. Dias made 27 league appearances, 1 in Coppa Italia and 6 in the Europa League.
The 2013-14 season would be his last for Lazio. The Biancocelesti had a difficult year, replacing Petkovic with Reja after 17 games and finished 9th. Dias made 16 Serie A appearances with 1 goal (Sassuolo), 2 in Coppa Italia and 1 in the Supercoppa final (lost 0-4 to Juventus).
At 35 Dias decided to retire from football. He had played 443 professional games and scored 26 goals. In 2009 he had also got a call up by Carlos Dunga's Brazil for a world cup qualifier versus Chile but Dias was an unused sub.
At Lazio Dias played 131 games (111 in Serie A). He will be remembered as a quality defender, one of the best in recent history. At 1.84 for 80 kilos he was extremely strong and had an excellent sense of position. He was not particularly quick but had good timing and was a solid tackler. He commanded the defence with authority and paired up well with Biava in particular but also Radu. A leader of Lazio's defence for four years and although he didn't play that particular game, he will forever be part of the 2013 Cup Final glory squad who conquered Rome on May 26.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Europa League | Super Coppa |
Jan-Jun 2010 | 12 (2) | 12 (2) | - | - | - |
2010-11 | 34 (2) | 33 (2) | 1 | - | - |
2011-12 | 32 (1) | 23 | 2 (1) | 7 | - |
2012-13 | 34 | 27 | 1 | 6 | - |
2013-14 | 19 (1) | 16 (1) | 2 | - | 1 |
Total | 131 (6) | 111 (5) | 6 (1) | 13 | 1 |
Sources
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