Game 36, Serie A
Wednesday May 8, 2013
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan
Inter Lazio 1-3
Lazio take full advantage of a number of Inter mistakes to secure three points
Lazio started the season very well and by the end of the first half were second. The Champions League looked possible. But in the next 16 games the Biancocelesti won just four times so top tier Europe was not going to be a possibility. There was still Europa League qualification hope via both the Campionato or the Coppa Italia.
The match
Inter started very strongly and in the 2nd minute Ricardo Alvarez tried his luck from outside the box but Federico Marchetti parried. In the 9th Senad Lulic on the left passed to Miroslav Klose in the box but his shot went over the crossbar. Former Lazio captain Tommaso Rocchi also had a chance in the 10th minute and Marchetti performed his first miracle.
In the 21st minute Antonio Candreva on the right crossed in the box for Sergio Floccari. Four possible players could have got that ball: Floccari, Jonathan, Andrea Ranocchia or Samir Handanovic. In the end it was the goalkeeper who got the ball but he sent it into his own goal. 1-0 for Lazio.
A minute later a colossal chance for Lazio to double the score. Quick counter attack, Klose to Candreva who was completely unmarked just inside the Inter half. In solitude he ran towards the box and, just inside, had a shot. Wide by a whisker.
As a natural consequence, Inter in the 33rd minute equalised. Alvaro Pereira crossed from the left, Alvarez jumped higher than Stefan Radu and headed the ball under the crossbar.
Marchetti performed his second miracle in the 36th minute. Fredy Guarin to Esteban Cambiasso, outside the box but dead centre. The Argentinian promptly shot and the Lazio goalkeeper managed to put a hand to it and push the ball onto the post.
In injury time, Cristian Ledesma found a great corridor for Candreva. Once in the box on the right, the Lazio winger crossed low in the centre and Ranocchia fouled Floccari as he was about to shoot. Penalty. Hernanes took the spot kick and it was 2-1 for Lazio.
Inter put pressure on the Biancocelesti very early in the second half. A Guarin shot in the 49th minute went just wide. Ten minutes later the Colombian had another chance from a favourable position but again shot wide. In the 70th minute Guarin again the protagonist. Lorik Cana fouled him in the box and it was a penalty for Inter. Alvarez took the spot kick but unluckily (for him) slipped as he was about to shoot and the ball ended up in the stands.
Lazio regained a bit more courage and a massive whack from outside the box by specialist Hernanes in the 71st minute was well saved by Handanovic. Guarin tried again in the 74th, Marchetti saved.
There was nothing any goalkeeper could have done in the 76th minute. Even Superman would have had trouble saving Eddy Onazi’s shot from 30 metres. A missile that went in the far top right hand corner for Lazio’s third.
In injury time Rocchi and Luca Garritano had chances but Marchetti was in a state of grace this evening and performed miracle number 3 and 4.
A great win for Lazio, their first away from home since December. Inter had to say goodbye to European ambitions.
Who played for Inter
Handanovic, Jonathan (30' Benassi), Ranocchia (53' Pasa), Juan Jesus, Pereira, Kuzmanovic (80' Garritano), Kovacic, Cambiasso, Guarin, Alvarez, Rocchi
Substitutes: Belec, Carrizo, Chivu, Ferrara, Spendlhofer, Schelotto, Forte, Colombi
Manager: Stramaccioni
Who played for Lazio
Marchetti, Konko, Cana, Dias (46’ Ciani), Radu, Candreva, Ledesma (60’ Onazi), Hernanes, Lulic, Floccari (60’ A. Gonzalez), Klose
Manager: Petkovic
Referee: Bergonzi
Goals: 22’ Handanovic (og), 33’ Alvarez, 45+3 Hernanes (pen), 77’ Onazi
Sources
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