Second win in two days

Dag Jenkins
Aug 3, 2022
3 min read

Season 2019-20

Pre Season Friendly

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Benteler-Arena, Paderborn

Paderborn Lazio 2-4

Lazio defeat Bundesliga newcomers only 24 hours after victory against Premier League opposition

So far Lazio had played six friendlies; Auronzo 18-0, Top 11 Radio Club 12-0, Triestina 5-2, Entella 5-0, Mantova 4-0 and Bournemouth 4-3. Serie A would start on August 25.

Today's opponents Paderborn had just been promoted to the German Bundesliga under manager Steffan Baumgart. The Bundesliga which would start on August 17 away to Bayer Leverkusen. The North Rhine-Westphalians first game however was on August 11 in the German Cup away to Rödinghausen.

The match

A 4 p.m kick-off attracted about 6,000 spectators to the small Benteler Arena (capacity 15,000).

Lazio had played Bournemouth the day before so only three players were confirmed (Thomas Strakosha, Denis Vavro and Francesco Acerbi) while Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was back in midfield and Bobby Adekanye, Felipe Caicedo and Jony played up front. The only real absence was Lucas Leiva injured.

The Germans started well and pushed forward in the early stages. The blue & blacks had a chance cleared off the line after a Strakosha hesitation.

Lazio absorbed the hosts' enthusiasm and gradually grew into the game. Milinkovic-Savic went close and then in the 19th minute the Biancocelesti scored. Bastos crossed from the right and Caicedo fired in the defence's short clearance, 0-1.

The Germans looked flustered and in the 33rd minute Lazio doubled their lead. The goalkeeper picked up a back pass with his hands so the Romans were awarded an indirect freekick inside the area. Danilo Cataldi blasted the ball past Huth, 0-2.

A few minutes before halftime Lazio scored again but it was thanks to a blunder by defender Jans who clumsily put the ball in his own net, 0-3.

Halftime came with Lazio cruising despite their weakened line-up.

The Westphalians made two changes during the break while Lazio remained unchanged.

The second half started slowly but came to life in the 58th minute when Antwi-Adjei beat Strakosha to pull one back for "Die des flusses Pader".

At this point the hosts made three more changes and ten minutes later Lazio made nine in one go. The players coming on included Senad Lulic, Marco Parolo, Luís Alberto, Joaquin Correa and Ciro Immobile.

The game continued to be pedestrian and more substitutions followed but in the 88th minute the Pader scored again. Strakosha did well to get to a Souza strike but the ball then went in anyway, 2-3.

Any risk of Lazio blemishing their 100% winning record so far disappeared a minute later. Manuel Lazzari crossed to "El Tucu" Correa brilliantly backheeled to Lulic who made it 2-4.

A good win for Lazio only 24 hours after having beaten a Premiership side. Lazio rested the main players for 70 minutes but managed to get the better of a Bundesliga team albeit newly promoted.

The positive notes came from Cataldi and Caicedo in particular while Jony had disappointed and still looked a bit overweight.

Who played for Paderborn

Huth, Jans (85' Dörfler), Hünemeier (85' Rumpf), Strohdiek (59' Kilian), Holtmann (59' Schwede), Pröger (46' Souza), Vasiliades (85' Bilogrevic), Gjasula (59' Kapic), Antwi-Adjei (71' Hilßner), Shelton (71' Ritter), Mamba (46' Zolinski)

Substitutes: Ratajczak, Brüggemeier

Manager: Baumgart

Who played for Lazio

Strakosha (69' Guerrieri), Vavro (69' Lazzari), Acerbi (69' Parolo), Bastos (69' Radu), Patric, Milinkovic-Savic (81' Berisha), Cataldi (69' Badelj), André Anderson (69' Luís Alberto), Jony (69' Lulic), Adekanye (69' Correa), Caicedo (69' Immobile)