Seven goals, all in the second half

Season 2014-15

Coppa Italia, Third Round

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Bassano Virtus 7-0

After a forgettable first 45 minutes, Lazio open the floodgates and score seven

During the preseason training phase Lazio had beaten SV Hamburger and drawn with Sporting Lisbon. Today was the first official match of the season, the third preliminary round of the Coppa Italia against Bassano Virtus.

In the first round, with 36 teams from the third and fourth tiers, Bassano had won away at Vicenza, and in the second, with the 18 winners plus Serie B teams, had won at Livorno. For the third round, enter the 12 Serie A clubs ranked 9-20.

The match

It was a sad day and the club commemorated Aldo Donati who had died recently. A Lazio fan and great singer of the 1970s who had written the most famous Lazio anthem.

Lazio did not really try much in the first half. They had a half chance with Keita Balde in the 11th minute but he could not make a decent connection from a favourable position. The Senegalese managed to score in the 25th minute but it was not given due to a dubious foul and had another chance in the 33rd minute, but his shot went wide after a great pass from Cristian Ledesma. Lorik Cana could have scored in the 36th minute but his volley was brilliantly saved by Gian Maria Rossi.

The poor first half meant that the useless Felipe Anderson was substituted by Antonio Candreva in the interval and it took him just 30 seconds to score Lazio’s first. Keita on a counter attack, ball to Marco Parolo who let it go through to the Lazio winger who made no mistake.

Stefan de Vrij had to save a weak shot from Mattia Proietti on the line after a Ledesma fumble but then it was all downhill for the Biancocelesti. In the 53rd minute a spectacular one-two Parolo-Filip Djordjevic moved the ball into the box for Candreva anticipated by the defence. However, the stray ball arrived comfortably to Keita who had no problems scoring.

Five minutes later Ledesma crossed into the box for Candreva, low cross into the middle, Rossi got a hand to the ball but allowed de Vrij a simple tap in. In the 68th minute a great pass from Parolo to Keita who in front of the goalkeeper produced a perfect lob for his brace.

It was not over. In the 80th minute Candreva put the ball into the gap for Miro Klose, Rossi managed to parry but in came Parolo and scored Lazio’s fifth. In the 87th minute after a number of passes between the Lazio players in and on the edge of the box, ball to Dusan Basta who with a big whack from 25 metres made it 6. In the 92nd minute, Parolo to Candreva on the right of the box, low cross to the middle and Klose scored for Lazio’s 7-0.

All’s well that ends well. The horrible Lazio of the first half was replaced by a spectacular one in the second.

Who played for Lazio

Berisha, Basta, de Vrij, Cana, Radu, Parolo, Ledesma (66’ Biglia), Lulic, Felipe Anderson (46’ Candreva), Djordjevic (70’ Klose), Keita