Looking good

Season 2015-16

Game 1, Serie A

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Bologna 2-1

Lazio, clearly thinking about the Champions League tie which will take place in a few days, beat Bologna 2-1 but could have scored many more.

The first game of the season was in August, the Super Coppa against Juventus, played in Shanghai. No contest and Lazio were beaten 2-0 on an appalling pitch. Lazio’s form was pretty terrible but the focus was on the Champions League playoff against Bayer Leverkusen.

In front of a packed Olimpico, Lazio played really well in the first leg and won 1-0. They could/should have scored more but some players were still a bit behind physically. The problem was that Miroslav Klose got injured in the first half and at that time Lazio did not have a centre forward who could replace him.

However, it was time to start Serie A.

The match

Lazio started the game very well and after ten minutes had their first chance of the match. Ricardo Kishna from the right sent in a perfect ball for Antonio Candreva. His header shaved the post. The Biancoceleste winger had another chance three minutes later. Corner for Lazio, quick one-two with Stefan Radu and Candreva moved towards the centre of the field outside the box and shot towards the goal. Antonio Mirante produced his first sensational save of the evening.

In the 17th minute Lazio scored. Lucas Biglia from the left sent the ball to the other side for Candreva who passed to the upcoming Dusan Basta. Cross into the box, Keita Balde involuntarily passed it back to Biglia who from just inside the area placed it in the back of the net.

Six minutes later the Biancocelesti doubled. Marco Parolo to Radu on the left, the Romanian to Candreva who crossed into the box. The Bologna defence tried to clear but the ball arrived to Kishna who had no problem scoring Lazio’s second goal.

The Biancocelesti were unstoppable and a Basta shot parried well by Mirante in the 31st minute. Lazio dominated but in the 42nd minute Franco Brienza passed a good ball to Matteo Mancosu who beat Radu for speed and in front of Etrit Berisha put the ball under the crossbar. The first half ended 2-1 for Lazio.

Bad news for Lazio in the 50th minute. Biglia got injured and had to leave the field. He would certainly not be available for the Champions League tie. In the 65th minute Keita shot from outside the box and Mirante parried into corner. In the 72nd Candreva dribbled past three Bologna players and from a difficult angle tried a shot at goal but yet again Mirante saved. Four minutes later the Bologna goalkeeper parried another great shot from Danilo Cataldi. When it seemed all over, in the second minute of overtime Berisha saved a dangerous header from Matteo Brighi into corner. But it was too late for the Rossoblu. Lazio won their first game of the season.

Who played for Lazio

Berisha, Basta, de Vrij, Gentiletti, Radu, Parolo, Biglia (51’ Cataldi), Lulic (61' Milinkovic-Savic), Candreva (75’ Felipe Anderson), Keita, Kishna