Tales of the unexpected as Lazio triumph

Season 2017-18

Super Coppa Final

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Juventus Lazio 2-3

Dybala equalises in injury time but young boy Murgia sends Lazio to paradise

This was the Italian Supercup final. The previous season Juventus had won the double but Lazio, as losing Coppa Italia finalists (0-2), gained the right to go for almost immediate revenge.

Juventus were strong favourites this evening, especially as Lazio had lost the last ten consecutive games against "La Vecchia Signora" and had not scored against them in 7 matches, since 2015 ... for an aggregate of 1-20 to Juve. Lazio had several reasons for revenge tonight. For Juventus it was their first official game since the 1-4 Champions League defeat against Real Madrid in Cardiff.

The match

A 60,000-crowd gathered on this mid-August evening, a fair share obviously Juventini with their ten million fan base.

The Bianconeri came out flying and had three chances in the first five minutes. First Alex Sandro went down the left wing and into the area putting in a low cross which found Juan Cuadrado unmarked a couple of metres in front of Thomas Strakosha but the Albanian somehow managed to get a foot to it and put it onto the post and out for a corner. The Lazio keeper then saved again from Paulo Dybala and a Gonzalo Higuain shot from just outside the area.

After this initial burst however Juventus slowed down and Lazio grew into the game. Lazio seemed to have an extra man in the two phases, with Luis Alberto putting in a good shift both in midfield and up front. Juventus were suddenly in difficulty, Miralem Pjanic and Sami Khedira too slow and the forwards too isolated.

Lazio's increasing confidence was rewarded just after the half hour mark. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic anticipated Cuadrado and sent a perfect low through ball to Ciro Immobile, putting Ciro one-on-one with Buffon. He went around the Italian national keeper and was pulled down or looked for the contact… it is not easy to say; the fact is the referee blew for a penalty and booked Buffon. Immobile scored the spot kick with a powerful low and angled shot, despite the keeper going the right way, so after 32 minutes, Lazio 1 Juventus 0.

Lazio insisted and followed the goal up with more chances. One was brilliant. Luis Alberto chipped the ball to Milinkovic-Savic just inside the area on the right and the big Serb back-heeled it superbly to the oncoming Dušan Basta who took it forward slightly and blasted a shot but it was saved by Buffon. The ball then spun straight out of the area where it was picked up by Lucas Leiva who controlled it and let off a central missile that Buffon managed to tip over the bar. Halftime Score Lazio 1 Juventus 0.

A well deserved lead for the Romans who after a rocky first five minutes had been by far the better team.

The teams came back on unchanged. At the beginning of the second half Lazio scored again. In the 54th minute a Marco Parolo cross from the right was met by Immobile who out jumped Medhi Benatia and Andrea Barzagli and headed over and past Buffon. Lazio 2 Juventus 0.

At this point Allegri had to change something and opted for Mattia De Sciglio for Benatia and Douglas Costa for Cuadrado. Lazio pushed on with their starting XI.

Lazio were in control and almost got a third. Senad Lulic squared a ball into Immobile in front of goal but Buffon despite his age was quick to come out and dive down low at Ciro's feet just before he could get a shot in.

With about fifteen minutes to go both sides made substitutions. For Juventus in the 72nd minute Federico Bernardeschi came on for an impalpable Mario Mandzukic. For Lazio in the 74th minute Adam Marusic and Jordan Lukaku replaced Basta and Senad Lulic while in the 80th Alessandro Murgia came on for Leiva. No-one at this point could ever have imagined how important Lukaku and Murgia would prove to be. It was more a question of hanging on for the last ten minutes.

Lazio's decision or necessity to merely hold on backfired. Juventus, especially with Douglas Costa were increasingly threatening despite having no massive chances. In the 85th minute they won a free kick on the edge of the box which Dybala wonderfully curled around the wall and found the net. Lazio 2 Juventus 1.

Lazio clung on but in the 91st minute Juventus were awarded a penalty. A fifty fifty ball between Alex Sandro and Marusic was reached a fraction earlier by the Brazilian who then went down, for Mr. Massa it was a foul. Dybala stepped up and coolly put a perfect mid-height penalty to Strakosha's right. Lazio 2 Juventus 2.

Extra time on the cards and Juventus surely in the driving seat now… but football games are full of twists, turns and tales of the unexpected.

In the 93rd minute Luis Alberto fed Lukaku on the left and the big Belgian powered forward, going past De Sciglio towards the by-line. What happened next was a sublime combination of strength and agility as the "Sinjoren" nimbly cut in from the wing somehow keeping his balance, leaving De Sciglio behind and squaring a low ball back to the penalty spot. Who was there Immobile, Luis Alberto, Milinkovic-Savic? No, Alessandro Murgia became a Lazio hero for life by stretching and slotting a low right foot past Buffon, under the Curva Nord. Lazio 3 Juventus 2.

By the time all the players and staff had come back from their celebratory travels under the Curva Nord, there was barely time to continue before the referee whistled the end.

Absolute mayhem in the Lazio sectors and, as I remember, in my family living room ... An epic final went Lazio's way just when it seemed it had cruelly slipped away, against an opponent Lazio were more desperate than ever to beat. The match has become known as "La Supercoppa di Murgia" which is a good sign as it shows Lazio have won others (the next one, and 5th in total, came in 2019, again against Juventus, this time 3-1).

Who played for Juventus

Buffon, Barzagli, Benatia (56' De Sciglio), Chiellini, Alex Sandro, Khedira, Pjanic, Cuadrado (56' Douglas Costa), Dybala, Mandzukic (72' Bernardeschi), Higuain

Substitutes: Szczesny, Pinsoglio, Rugani, Lichtsteiner, Asamoah, Bentancur, Sturaro, Marchisio, Kean

Manager: Allegri

Who played for Lazio

Strakosha, Wallace, de Vrij, Basta (74' Marusic), Parolo, Leiva (80' Murgia), Luis Alberto, Lulic (74' Lukaku), Milinkovic-Savic, Immobile