Just like Playstation

Simon Basten

Apr 14, 2023

4 min read

2022-23 Season

Game 30, Serie A

Friday, April 14, 2023

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Stadio Alberto Picco, La Spezia

Spezia Lazio 0-3

Lazio triumph at La Spezia thanks to an Immobile penalty, a second goal so spectacular it almost did not seem real and Marco Antonio’s first Lazio goal

The team

Maurizio Sarri at the last second lost Nicolò Casale through illness and Patric was forced to go onto the pitch without even warming up. The rest of the team was the one we can define as the best possble line-up. The Gaffer warned everybody that this game was like a Paris-Roubaix bicycle road race, famous for its rough terrain and cobblestones. Sothey had to be careful.

The match

In the beginning it looked like the team had not listened. In the second minute Albin Ekdal on the right sent in an inviting low cross, Mehdi Bourabia anticipated the Lazio defence but his shot hit the crossbar. Ten minutes later a Bourabia-Emanuel Gyasi one-two on the left gave the Moroccan the opportunity to cross inside the box from the baseline. Perfect ball for M’Bala Nzola who jumped higher than Elseid Hysaj but headed the ball out.

A double scare for Lazio who as usual had a bad approach to these type of games. But after the second scare, the team pulled their socks up and started playing.

In the 20th minute splendid long pass by Danilo Cataldi for Ciro Immobile who ran towards the goal. As he was about to shoot in front of Bartłomiej Drągowski he was clearly fouled by Ethan Ampadu, but Massimilliano Irrati, always a guarantee of bad refereeing when it comes to Lazio, did not agree and the VAR did not intervene.

In the 33rd minute Sergej Milinkovic-Savic headed a ball for Felipe Anderson on the right on a counterattack. The Brazilian was completely alone and he flew towards the box. Once in, Ampadu fouled him from behind in an attempt to get the ball. This time even Irrati could not ignore the penalty. Immobile took the spot kick, Spezia 0 Lazio 1.

In the third minute of injury time, Milinkovic-Savic stole the ball of Ampadu and chipped the ball for Immobile unmarked in front of the open goal. King Ciro however could not find the right coordination to put the ball in. Play continued, Immobile for Felipe Anderson who passed the ball to Luis Alberto in the box, but the shot was wide. Two minutes later a Milinkovic-Savic shot from outside the box was saved by Drągowski.

Second half

In the 52nd minute Luis Alberto had the ball just over the Spezia half and passed it to Felipe Anderson who in turn sent it to Immobile. The King back heeled it back to the Brazilian who passed it again to Immobile. By this time we were just inside the Spezia penalty box. Ciro saw Luis Alberto on the left, ball to him. The Spaniard passed it again to Felipe Anderson, Kevin Amian tried to intervene but Felipetto whacked the ball behind Drągowski. 2-0 for Lazio, spectacular goal, a-la Manchester City said an Italian commentator, but it looked more like Playstation football.

Spezia, who have done very little since the first ten minutes of the match, tried a comeback in the 59th minute. Bourabia to Nzola in the box, ball to Ekdal who turned around and shot, but Ivan Provedel managed a difficult save.

Two minutes later three substitutions for Spezia: Arkadiusz Reca, Kevin Agudelo and Daniel Maldini (Paolo Maldini’s son) for Dimistri Nikolau, Bourabia and Gyasi. In the 68th minute Pedro replaced Immobile and in the 76th Eldor Shomurodov took the place of Daniele Verde.

In the 77th minute, Luis Alberto to Felipe Anderson on the left inside the box. Felipetto looked up to see what the best possible solution could be and in the end shot. Drągowski saved into corner. A minute later Marcos Antonio replaced Cataldi.

Ampadu is sent off in the 84th minute for a second yellow card. A bit harsh on the Welshman. Matteo Cancellieri substituted Mattia Zaccagni with three minutes to go.

In the 89th minute there was a free kick for Spezia. Maldini crossed into the Lazio box but Felipe Anderson cleared by kicking the ball into no man's land. At this point Marcos Antonio did a Husain Bolt and got to the ball before everybody else. He ran towards the box, dribbled Agudelo, Drągowski came off his line to block him but the Brazilian wwent past him too and deposited the ball in the net for his first Lazio goal. The thousands of Lazio fans present, and the Lazio players in particular, were overjoyed that one of the most popular members of the squad finally had a moment of glory.

Game over. Lazio overcome initial difficulties and win in style.

Who played for Spezia

Dragowski, Amian, Ampadu, Nikolaou (62' Reca), Wisniewski, Bourabia (62' Agudelo), Ekdal, Esposito, Verde (76' Shomurodov), Nzola, Gyasi (62' Maldini)

Substitutes: Zoet, Marchetti, Sala, Krollis, Ferrer, Kovalenko, Caldara, Cipot

Manager: Semplici

Who played for Lazio

Provedel, Marusic, Patric, Romagnoli, Hysaj, Milinkovic-Savic, Cataldi (80' Marcos Antonio), Luis Alberto, Felipe Anderson, Immobile (69' Pedro), Zaccagni (88' Cancellieri)