Lazio win despite emergency
Despite missing Immobile and Luis Alberto, all Lazio need to win is a Caicedo penalty.
Also on this day: February 7, 1988, Sambenedettese Lazio 1-2. Lazio battle hard on Adriatic. Two goals up at halftime, they resist Sambenedettese attempted comeback and clinch important promotion points. Player of the day: Ciro Muro
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had been heavily penalised by the introduction of the VAR. The referees took it in turns to not use it when Lazio played or to use it in the wrong way. But Lazio had played well and, as usual, just missed out of Champions League qualification, arriving fifth, losing the decisive match at home against Inter.
The star signings of the summer were Francesco Acerbi, who took the place in the centre of defence left by Stefan de Vrij, who left for Inter as a free agent since he refused to sign a new contract for Lazio, and Joaquin Correa, exciting Argentinian player from Seville, who substituted Felipe Anderson sold to West Ham United.
After a difficult start, with losses to Napoli and Juventus, Lazio had come back with a winning streak of four wins only to lose the derby in probably the worst game ever under Simone Inzaghi. Unable to come to terms with the bigger teams, Lazio occasionally struggled even with the smaller ones. The big players such as Luis Alberto and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic were not playing up to par and because of this Ciro Immobile was not scoring as much. At the end of the first half of the season Lazio were 4th, one point clear of Milan, but, as in the beginning of the tournament, they lost the next two games with Napoli and Juventus and struggled beating Frosinone away. Coming into this match Lazio were now fifth together with Atalanta and one point behind Milan.
A difficult start also to the Europa League but they were able to secure qualification to the next round coming second in their group and now had to play Sevilla.
In Coppa Italia the Biancocelesti comfortably passed their first round against Novara and had beaten Inter after a penalty shoot-out in the quarterfinals. In the semi’s Lazio would have to face Milan.
The match: Thursday, February 7, 2019, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
No Ciro Immobile nor Luis Alberto for Simone Inzaghi due to injury, so Lazio were in a bit of an emergency. It did not look like it though, since in the 3rd minute they already had a chance. A Romulo cross was cleared by Ivan Provedel only to reach Francesco Acerbi at the centre of the box. His shot however went wide. In the 7th minute Francesco Caputo had a good chance from a favourable position but Thomas Strakosha had no difficulty in saving the shot.
In the 29th minute Joaquim Correa slalomed through the Empoli defence and from the left of the penalty area tried a difficult shot. Provedel saved. Four minutes later Sergej Milinkovic-Savic headed the ball wide following a great Senad Lulic cross.
Wonderful play by Lazio in the 37th minute. Correa-Milinkovic-Savic-Correa-Caicedo-Milinkovic-Savic back to Correa all alone in front of the goalkeeper but the Lazio forward shot at the keeper.
In the 41st minute Provedel had the ball but lost control of it for a second. That second was enough for Felipe Caicedo to steal it and be fouled by the Empoli keeper. Penalty. Caicedone took it and put Lazio in the lead.
In the second half Acerbi had a great chance to make it two off a Valon Berisha free kick in the 57th minute but his header was miraculously saved by Provedel. Three minutes later Rade Krunic had an opportunity to equalise his shot went wide. In the 64th minute a great pass from Caicedo to Correa but the Argentine kicked the ball into the stands.
The last chance of the game came in the 78th minute. Free kick for Empoli from the left, Silvestre on the far post headed the ball across for any team mate ready to tap it in. But nobody got to it.
A difficult game for Lazio but a comfortable win.
Who played for Lazio
Strakosha, Bastos, Acerbi, Radu, Romulo, Milinkovic-Savic (58’ Cataldi), Leiva, Berisha (77’ Badelj), Lulic, Correa, Caicedo (84’ Neto).
Substitutes: Proto, Guerrieri, Luiz Felipe, Kalaj, Zitelli, Patric, Marusic, Jordao, Durmisi.
Manager: S. Inzaghi
Who played for Empoli
Provedel, Veseli, Silvestre, Dell’Orco, Di Lorenzo, Krunic, Bennacer, Traore (69' Acquah), Pasqual (88' Mchedlidze), Farias (51' Oberlin), Caputo.
Substitutes: Perucchini, Antonelli, Rasmussen, Diks, Maietta, Nikolaou, Pajac, Brighi, Ucan.
Manager: Iachini.
Referee: Chiffi
Goal: 42’ Caicedo (pen)
What happened next
In the Campionato Lazio did not do well. The objective was Champions League and despite wins against Inter and especially a wonderful 3-0 against Roma, Lazio threw any chances of elite European football to the wind with losses against Spal and especially at home against Chievo Verona who were already mathematically in Serie B. The final nail in the coffin was the defeat at home against Atalanta in early May.
In Europa League Lazio were eliminated by Sevilla.
However, the Coppa Italia saw Lazio triumph against Atalanta thanks to goals by Milinkovic-Savic and Correa. In the semi-final against Milan Lazio had drawn 0-0 at home in the first leg but in the return match a splendid goal by Correa had given the Biancocelesti the final. This meant that Lazio qualified for next season’s Europa League.
Francesco Acerbi was the player with most appearances (50) and Ciro Immobile the one with the most goals (19).
Lazio 2018-19
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 56 |
Coppa Italia | 5 | 3 | 2 | - | 8 |
Europa League | 8 | 3 | - | 5 | 9 |
Total | 51 | 23 | 10 | 18 | 73 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Europa League |
Acerbi | 50 | 37 | 5 | 8 |
Immobile | 46 | 36 | 5 | 5 |
Lulic | 46 | 35 | 4 | 7 |
Correa | 44 | 34 | 4 | 6 |
44 | 35 | 5 | 4 |
Top Five Goal Scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Europa League |
Immobile | 19 | 15 | 3 | 1 |
Correa | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
9 | 8 | - | 1 | |
Milinkovic-Savic | 7 | 5 | 2 | - |
Parolo | 6 | 4 | - | 2 |
Luis Alberto | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Let’s talk about Pedro Neto
Pedro Neto is one of those players that Lazio should be kicking themselves for letting slip away. We have mentioned Marco Di Vaio as one of Lazio’s biggest mistakes, Neto is another one. Neto is a fast left winger, very good crosser of the ball and is often compared to Bernardo Silva.
Pedro Lomba Neto was born in Viana do Castelo on March 9 2000. At the age of 13 he began to play for the youth teams of Braga and debuted in the A team at 17 years of age in Braga’s game against Nacional. He scored on his debut making him the youngest player ever to score a goal in the Portuguese First Division.
On August 31 2017 he was loaned to Lazio for two years with an obligation to buy, together with his team mate Bruno Jordao. He played the majority of his first season with the Primavera. He debuted with the first team in the Coppa Italia game against Novara immediately showing his skills. His debut in Serie A came a few days later against Juventus.
Lazio surprisingly sold him to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2019. The English team immediately gave him playing time and Neto showed all his talent. He has played 73 games in the Premier League not counting the current season.
He has also started playing in the National team and has two caps to his credit.
The only explanation one can have for the sale of this talent by Lazio is that there was a previous deal agreed upon with his Agent Jorge Mendes.
He had 5 appearances with Lazio (4 in Serie A and one in Coppa Italia) and it is an enormous wonder that he did not get more playing time. It would be an interesting question to ask Simone Inzaghi.
Lazio career
Season | Played | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
2018-19 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Sources
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