Chiesa silences the Marakana

Season 2002-03

UEFA Cup, Second Round, Second Leg

Thursday, November 14, 2002

Red Star Stadium, Belgrade

Red Star Belgrade Lazio 1-1

Thanks to a goal 13 minutes to the end, Chiesa secures the UEFA Cup third round

In the first five games of the campionato Lazio had started badly losing at home to Chievo Verona but had then won away to Torino and Atalanta and drawn at home to Milan. They were currently fifth but were playing well.

In the first round of the UEFA Cup Lazio had demolished Skoda Xanthi 4-0 at home and then drew the second leg 0-0. In the second round they had to face Red Star Belgrade. In the first leg at home the Biancocelesti had won 1-0 thanks to a goal by Stefano Fiore. Would this single goal be enough?

The match

A very difficult game for Lazio at the stadium known as the Marakana. Red Star attacked right from the word go, backed by a full capacity crowd. After just six minutes, Luca Marchegiani, substituting Angelo Peruzzi out injured, got kicked on the hand but heroically stayed on for the rest of the first half. The Lazio defence held tight and waited for the storm to blow over. Japp Stam and Fernando Couto restricted the Belgrade team to shots from outside the box, but these were sometimes very dangerous. In the 12th minute Branko Boskovic from the left unleashed a 20-metre shot that hit the woodwork and came back into play but there were no forwards ready for the tap in. In the 36th minute again Boskovic ran through the Lazio defence and shot. Marchegiani saved and then had to parry Dragan Mrdja’s follow up shot into corner. Two minutes later another Marchegiani save, this time blocking Ivan Gvozdenovic’s shot. And Lazio? The only attempt was towards the end of the first half when Lucas Castroman over kicked a cross that then turned out to be very dangerous but Ivan Randjelovic managed to save into corner.

In the second half in came Emanuele Concetti for Marchegiani. Red Star continued to attack but shots from Gvozdenovic and Boskovic went wide. Roberto Mancini substituted Christian Manfredini with Claudio Lopez to try and move the game away from the Biancoceleste’s half. The plan worked as Red Star reduced their forays, but in the 70th minute Lazio fell behind. Free kick from the left, Gvozdenovic crossed, Boskovic beat Fernando Couto and headed the ball in. All square now.

At this point Lazio took control of the match. In the 77th minute free kick for the Biancocelesti. Enrico Chiesa kicked towards the goal, Randjelovic saved on the front post. But the referee had seen too much pushing and shoving and made Chiesa repeat the free kick. The Laziale duly did so , this time aiming for the far post, the shot went under the wall, Couto and Castroman dummied and the ball finished in the back of the net. 1-1, game over, Lazio through to the third round.

A tough match in very difficult circumstances.

Who played for Red Star Belgrade

Randjelovic, Dudic (85' Milovanovic), Vidic, Lalatovic, Markovic, Gvodzenovic, Mladenovic, Kovacevic, Boskovic, Pjanovic (70' Bogdanovic), Mrdja (62' Bogavac)

Substitutes: Stojkovic, Krivokapic, Jankovic, Lukovic

Manager: Filipovic

Who played for Lazio

Marchegiani (46’ Concetti), Oddo, Stam, Fernando Couto, Favalli, Castroman, D. Baggio, Liverani, Sorin, Manfredini (55’ C. Lopez), Chiesa