Super Coppa, Semi-final
Friday, January 19, 2024
Riyadh, Al-Awwal Park Stadium
Inter Lazio 3-0
Disastrous evening for the Biancocelesti, completely out of the game for the entire match
The team
Maurizio Sarri was forced to do without Mattia Zaccagni at the last possible minute and Pedro took his place. He also preferred a more muscular midfield, so Matias Vecino replaced Luis Alberto. Ciro Immobile was back in the centre of the attack.
First half
Marcus Thuram twice had chances within the first seven minutes but a shot was too high and a header shaved the post. In the 17th minute Inter scored their first goal. Alessandro Bastoni on the left sent in a low cross, Federico Dimarco back heeled the ball cutting out all the Biancoceleste defence, Thuram then had a simple tap in.
Lazio did not react and Inter insisted. In the 36th minute cross from Dimarco from the left to Nicolò Barella, all alone five metres from the goal on the right, big whack, crossbar.
Second half
Any chance of changing the score was thrown away in the 50th minute. Pedro fouled Lautaro Martinez in the box, and for the referee, after a VAR check it was a penalty. Hakan Calhanoglu took the spot kick, 2-0.
In the 52nd minute a splendid Thuram-Barella-Lautaro play allowed the Argentinian to shoot but his attempt hit the woodwork.
Just before, Luis Alberto and Danilo Cataldi had taken the places of Nicolò Rovella and Matteo Guendouzi. Later on Sarri also changed Adam Marusic, Pedro and Manuel Lazzari for Luca Pellegrini, Gustav Isaksen and Elseid Hysaj. For Inter in came Davide Frattesi, Stefan de Vrij, Marko Arnautovic, Alexis Sanchez and Kristjan Asllani for Barella, Bastoni, Lautaro, Thuram and Calhanoglu.
In the 86th minute Luis Alberto had to take a free kick. He told Isaksen to touch the ball for him and then advanced, passed to the centre but de facto gave the ball straight to Sanchez who passed to Mkhitaryan on the right for a quick counter attack. Lazio were all in the box waiting for Luis Alberto’s cross. Ball to Frattesi in the middle in complete solitude, 3-0 for Inter and game over.
I say game over, but the game had never begun for Lazio.
Who played for Inter
Sommer, Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni (66' de Vrij), Darmian, Barella (66' Frattesi), Calhanoglu (81' Asllani), Mkhitaryan, Dimarco, Lautaro Martinez (74' Arnautovic), Thuram (74' Sanchez).
Substitutes: Audero, Di Gennaro, Dumfries, Sensi, Klaassen, Buchanan, Zopolato, Bisseck, Stabile, Stankovic.
Manager: Inzaghi
Who played for Lazio
Provedel, Lazzari (83' Hysaj), Gila, Romagnoli, Marusic (66' Pellegrini), Guendouzi (51' Luis Alberto), Rovella (51' Cataldi), Vecino, Felipe Anderson, Immobile, Pedro (66' Isaksen).
Substitutes: Sepe, Mandas, Patric, Kamada, Zaccagni, Casale, Kamenovic, Castellanos, Ruggeri, Sana Fernandes.
Manager: Sarri
Referee: Marchetti
Goals: 17’ Thuram, 50' Calhanoglu (pen), 87' Frattesi.
Booked: Romagnoli (L), Vecino (L), Calhanoglu (I)
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