Game 1, Serie A
Saturday, August 21, 2021
Stadio Carlo Castellani, Empoli
Empoli Lazio 1-3
Empoli play better and hit woodwork twice but Lazio come from behind and win
Initially it seemed Simone Inzaghi would stay on but in the meantime, unknown to Lazio, made an agreement with Inter and left unexpectedly. Therefore, this season Lazio had a new manager, Maurizio Sarri, with a new style of play.
Lazio were favourites but Empoli had the enthusiasm of the newly promoted while the Biancocelesti had a completely new tactical setup which could take some time to assimilate.
The match
A sparse crowd turned up in still peak holiday season at possibly the worst ground in Serie A, the Castellani. About half had come from Rome.
Empoli were without defender Fabiano Parisi and midfielder Federico Di Francesco, while Lazio were missing midfielders Danilo Cataldi and Toma Basic plus forward Mattia Zaccagni.
It was sort of homecoming for Maurizio Sarri as he had coached Empoli from 2012 to 2015 and winning promotion to Serie A.
His former club did not give him much of a welcome and scored after four minutes. Nedim Bajrami burst forward on the break and teed up debutant Filippo Bandinelli on the left inside the area, the Florentine stopped the ball and drilled a left footed shot in the opposite corner. A dream Serie A debut for him and nightmare start for Lazio. Empoli 1 Lazio 0.
Lazio reacted and equalised almost immediately. In the 6th minute Felipe Anderson took a short corner for Pedro who passed back to the Brazilian who chested the ball near the by-line and flicked a cross to the near post where Sergej Milinkovic-Savic anticipated the defence and headed in. Empoli 1 Lazio 1.
Empoli almost took back the lead in the 12th minute. A long ball by Petar Stojanovic went over the Lazio defence and put Leonardo Mancuso in front of Pepe Reina, the forward got to the ball first but lunging put the ball just wide.
In the 22nd minute Mancuso went close again when following a corner his low effort was blocked on the near post by Reina.
Three minutes later it was the hosts again who threatened when Bandinelli hit the post on a shot from the edge of the area.
Just after the half hour and slightly against the run of play, Lazio went in front. Manuel Lazzari surged forward centrally and after a perfect one-two with Milinkovic-Savic entered the area on the right and beat Vicario with a low strike on the opposite post. Empoli 1 Lazio 2.
Ten minutes later Lazio made it three thanks to a naive mistake by Guglielmo Vicario who on a high ball into the area let the ball bounce and then bumped into Francesco Acerbi who obviously collapsed to the ground. An avoidable and unnecessary foul but punishable with a penalty according to the rule book which Sozza dutifully followed. Ciro Immobile stepped up and put a confident strike to Vicario's left. Empoli 1 Lazio 3.
A flattering score line for Lazio who had been put in difficulty by the Azzurri's speed and enthusiasm.
For the second half Lazio replaced Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro with a more creative and offensive midfielder, Luis Alberto.
Empoli started strongly after the break too. In the 55th minute first Reina saved on Bandinelli and on the rebound Bajrami's thundering strike was cleared off the line by Luiz Felipe.
Bajrami tried again five minutes later but his shot was deflected and went just wide.
In the 60th minute Lazio replaced veteran Pedro with younger and fresher Raul Moro and in the 70th Milinkovic-Savic with André Anderson. It was the Brazilian substitute who combined with Immobile in the 73rd minute, picking up on an error playing out of defence by the hosts, but Anderson's close range shot from near the by-line was saved by Vicario.
Empoli made five substitutions in the last twenty minutes to try and change the script with fresh players not debilitated by the evening's summer humidity.
Lazio made another two in the last ten minutes bringing on Gonzalo Escalante for Lucas Leiva and Vedat Muriqi for Immobile in the 82nd minute.
The last chances were for the Empolesi who hit the woodwork again. In the third of the four minutes of added time Bajrami curled a shot from outside the left of the area but the ball came back off the crossbar with Reina beaten. Then in the dying seconds Riccardo Marchizza blasted a long range shot just over the bar. Full time Empoli 1 Lazio 3.
A cynical win by Lazio but a good debut for Sarri. Lazio however would have to play better if they wanted to be competitive. Empoli felt a little hard done by as they had produced more chances including hitting the woodwork twice. If they always played like this evening, they should avoid relegation without excessive problems.
Who played for Empoli
Vicario, Stojanovic (82' Fiamozzi), Ismajli, Romagnoli, Marchizza, Ricci, Haas (76' Zurkowski), Bandinelli (70' Henderson), Bajrami, Mancuso (82' La Mantia), Cutrone (76' Crociata)
Substitutes: Brignoli, Canestrelli, Stulac, Ekong, Asllani, Luperto, Viti
Manager: Andreazzoli
Who played for Lazio
Reina, Lazzari, Luiz Felipe, Acerbi, Hysaj, Milinkovic-Savic (70' A. Anderson), Leiva (82' Escalante), Akpa Akpro (46' Luis Alberto), F. Anderson, Immobile (82' Muriqi), Pedro (60' Moro)
Manager: Sarri
Referee: Sozza
Goals: 4' Bandinelli, 6' Milinkovic-Savic, 31' Lazzari, 41' Immobile (pen)
Sources
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