Keita gives Lazio the advantage

Season 2015-16

Champions League Play Off, First Leg

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Bayer Leverkusen 1-0

Lazio manage to win thanks to Keita, but will it be enough?

The previous season had seen Lazio arrive third and qualify for a Champions League playoff. It was a great year and Lazio played really well so there was hope that it could be repeated.

The playoff was against Bayern Leverkusen.

The match: Tuesday, August 18, 2015, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Ticket owned by Dag Jenkins. Photo by Dag Jenkins

Lazio needed to win and possibly close the qualification at the Olimpico tonight and the crowd tried to push Lazio into attack. In the 6th minute Senad Lulic had a chance in the box on the left but his shot was deflected into corner. With Eddy Onazi and Felipe Anderson not helping out Dusan Basta, in the 23rd the Germans had a chance to score on the right. Karim Bellarabi dribbled past Basta but from a couple of metres out shot into the stands. In the 26th minute with a shot from outside the box Lars Bender hit the woodwork. On the counter attack, a great ball from Felipe Anderson to Miro Klose who dribbled past the keeper but then went too far and when he tried a shot, he hit the post from an impossible angle. In the dying stages of the first half Hakan Çalhanoğlu tried the goal of the century with a shot from his own half in an attempt to surprise Etrit Berisha, but the ball went out.

Bad news in the interval. Klose had to throw in the towel due to injury. Stefano Pioli was forced to send in Keita Balde as centre forward. Lazio continued to attack but during the second half they ran out of energy. Çalhanoğlu forced Berisha to parry with his fists, Keita had a chance in front of the keeper but he tried to anticipate him and his shot went over the crossbar. In the 64th minute Admir Mehmedi shaved the post with a shot from inside the box. Keita had another chance when Felipe Anderson went off on the right and put a splendid ball for the Hispano-Senegalese who tried a shot but Bernd Leno saved.

In the 77th minute Keita took advantage of a Kyriakos Papadopoulos mistake and ran forward. Nobody could stop him and once inside the box he placed the ball in the back of the net.

Lazio could have scored again but Felipe Anderson instead of passing the ball to Antonio Candreva decided to go for the shot which Leno parried.

Good game and good win, but Lazio had too many injuries in the wrong moment. Will the single goal be enough to reach the Champions League group stage?

Who played for Lazio

Berisha, Basta, de Vrij (92’ Gentiletti), Mauricio, Lulic, Onazi (52’ Milinkovic-Savic), Biglia, Parolo, Candreva, Felipe Anderson, Klose (46’ Keita)