One step closer

Simon Basten

May 21, 2023

3 min read

2022-23 season

Game 36, Serie A

Sunday, May 21 2023

Previous Match Next

Dacia Arena, Udine

Udinese Lazio 0-1

An Immobile penalty allows Lazio to beat Udinese and now Champions League is there for the taking

The teams

Maurizio Sarri was forced to leave Marcos Antonio in Rome as well as Luca Pellegrini but at least Matias Vecino was back in the team and could be placed in the centre of midfield. Lazio looked very tired but a win in Udine, also in the light of Inter’s loss at Napoli and a possible 12 point docking for Juventus, would have been very, very welcome.

The match

It was a very fast game but not a lot happened. Udinese were potentially dangerous but the Biancoceleste defence never really suffered too much. Lazio looked a little more mobile than in the previous games but the Biancocelesti failed to be dangerous, always making a mistake on the last pass.

As a consequence in the first half there were only two things to note. In the 20th minute, Elseid Hysaj on the left to Mattia Zaccagni. The Lazio forward from the far left wing moved towards the centre and crossed in. Ciro Immobile anticipated the Udinese defence and went for the header, Marco Silvestri saved into corner. In the 39th minute, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic dribbled past an Udinese player and moved dangerously towards the penalty box. Destiny Udogie tried a kamikaze tackle and hit all possible targets, the ball reached Immobile who, just inside the box, laid up for a Luis Alberto shot that only just missed the post.

Second half

Lazio, uncharacteristically, immediately stepped up a gear in the second half and the chances were countless. In the 48th minute Luis Alberto, on the left wing, sent a long cross field pass over to Pedro (who in the interval had substituted Felipe Anderson, booked in the first half). The Spanish champion controlled the ball and once in the penalty box, passed to Immobile. King Ciro dribbled a player and in front of Silvestri shot. The Udinese goalkeeper managed to save. Just after the shot, Immobile was hacked down by Nehuen Perez. A clear penalty, but overlooked by almost everybody, referee, VAR and media.

In the 51st minute, Zaccagni on the left crossed the ball into the box, the Udinese defence cleared, in came Vecino outside the area. Massive shot, like his goal in Naples, but just wide. In the 58th minute Luis Alberto tried to surprise Silvestri directly from a corner, but the Udinese goalkeeper managed to get a hand to the ball and pushed it out of the goal.

Two minutes later, Zaccagni received the ball on the left from Hysaj, he saw Luis Alberto moving inside the box and passed to him. The Spaniard controlled and passed horizontally to Immobile who tried to get past Adam Masina who tripped him. Penalty for Lazio. Ciro Immobile took the spot kick and put Lazio in the lead.

Lazio initially insisted and tried to get a second. Corner for the Biancoclesti in the 64th minute. Luis Alberto crossed the ball into the box and an Alessio Romagnoli header hit the woodwork. In the 72nd minute, a wonderful pass from Luis Alberto to Milinkovic-Savic unmarked in the box but with his back to the goalkeeper. The big Serb tried to clip the ball but missed and Silvestri saved.

And Udinese? Disappeared from the pitch. The only real danger came in the 85th minute when Walace crossed into the box from the right and IlIja Nestorovski headed the ball into the goal, but he was blatantly in offside and the goal was disallowed.

Massive win for Lazio who then overtook Inter, were four points clear of Milan and only one point behind Juventus who had a game in hand but risked a new docking of points in the near future. If the Bianconeri were penalised by more than 10 points, then Lazio were already mathematically in the Champions League. But better beat Cremonese, already relegated to Serie B, the following week just to be sure!!!

Who played for Udinese

Silvestri, Perez, Bijol, Masina, Pereyra, Arslan (71` Nestorovski), Walace, Lovric, Udogie (71` Zeegelaar); Samardzic (87` Thauvin), Beto (87` Vivaldo)

Substitutes: Padelli, Piana, Abankwah, Buta, Guessand, Centis, Russo, Bassi

Manager: Sottil

Who played for Lazio

Provedel, Lazzari (75' Marusic), Casale, Romagnoli, Hysaj, Milinkovic-Savic, Vecino, Luis Alberto, Felipe Anderson (46` Pedro), Immobile, Zaccagni (87` Basic)