Lazio wins in dramatic fashion

2022-2023 Season

Game 1, Serie A

Sunday, August 14, 2022

Next Match

Rome, Stadio Olimpico

Lazio Bologna 2-1

Marvellous comeback from Lazio. Down to 10 men from the early minutes of the game and losing 1-0 from a Marko Arnautovic penalty, the Biancazzurri managed to overturn the result thanks to yet another goal from Ciro Immobile and a Bologna own goal prompted by Manuel Lazzari.

The match

Maurizio Sarri decided to play with the same 11 that played in the first halves of the more recent pre-season friendly games. Nicolò Casale was out suspended and Pedro injured. Bologna had a 3-4-1-2 formation with Roberto Soriano backing Marko Arnautovic and Nicola Sansone.

Lazio started off in control of the game and had a shot with Toma Basic after only 20 seconds. Bologna were ready for the counter attack. After four minutes it looked like Luis Maximiano saved a ball using his hands outside the penalty box. The referee, Luca Massimi, was called by the VAR a few minutes later and after having a quick look at the on-field monitor, waved a red card in the face of the Portuguese goalkeeper, much to the incredulity of the Lazio fans and players.

A shock start for Lazio. Sarri took off Basic to put Ivan Provedel in goal and Lazio changed from 4-3-3 to 4-4-1 with Mattia Zaccagni and Felipe Anderson on the wings but instead of being on the attacking line, they moved back to midfield.

Ciro Immobile had a chance in the 13th minute but Lukasz Skorupski saved his shot. On the following corner Romagnoli had another opportunity but headed the ball directly into the hands of the Bologna goalkeeper.

At this point Bologna took over and Lazio started to pull back. Provedel saved the Biancocelesti in the 20th minute when former Lazio player Lorenzo De Silvestri found himself all alone in front of goal but the new Lazio signing showed why Lazio had invested in him.

Meanwhile, Adama Soumaoro started the competition “how many fouls does it take to be booked”. He was quickly joined by Andrea Cambiaso. Nicola Sansone, on the other hand, wanted to take the competition one step further and see if he could get a red card directly. However, Massimi did not want to play and decided that a yellow card for Sansone was more than enough.

In the 35th minute here came another game changer. Romagnoli headed the ball to Zaccagni in the penalty box. The former Verona player was slow to clear the ball and allowed Sansone to anticipate him just in time to be kicked by Zaccagni. For the ref it was a penalty, a decision confirmed by VAR.

Arnautović took the spot kick and it was 1-0 for Bologna. He also got a yellow card because of excessive and provocative celebrations in front of the Lazio fans.

In the 40th minute the referee finally decided that if Soumaro really wanted a yellow card why should he be so cruel and deny him one and at the fourth attempt the Bologna defender was finally booked.

Lazio were in shock and with one minute to go to the end of the first half Bologna almost made it two with Sansone but his shot was wide.

In the four minutes of added time the match changed. In the second minute, Manuel Lazzari did an Alberto Tomba and was possibly fouled on entry to the penalty box. Protests from Lazio and from all over the world but the referee was not convinced. In all fairness, not enough in it really for a penalty. At this point Lazzari went into a trance, got the ball in Lazio’s half, dribbled past one Bologna player, another, another, another and then was finally fouled by Soumaro. The French player was proclaimed the winner of the “how many fouls does it take to get a double booking” competition and sent off.

Both teams were now down to ten men and it was a whole new ball game. Kevin Bonifazi took Sansone’s place at the beginning of the second half.

In the second half, while everybody was expecting a Lazio assault, it was Bologna that took control early, but were never dangerous. Cambiaso was booked at last by the referee in the 53rd minute and would try to get sent off for the rest of the match but he just couldn’t convince Massimi who already had a winner in Soumaro.

Chance for Lazio in the 62th minute but Jerdy Schouten deflected Zaccagni’s shot into corner.

Three changes on the field: Soriano and Charalampos Lykonogiannis were substituted by Michel Aebischer and Denso Kasius for Bologna; for Lazio Luis Alberto took Danilo Cataldi’s place.

Five minutes later, Lazio equalised. Lazzari decided it was time for another foray into Bologna's half, entered the penalty box and took a shot, Skorupski deflected the ball onto De Silvestri who put it into his own net. Lazio 1 Bologna 1.

Lazio believed they could turn this around and took control. Adam Marusic’s attempt in the 76th minute was comfortably saved by the Bologna keeper and another slalom from Lazzari saw the Lazio defender’s subsequent shot go wide. Sinisa Mihajlovic sent in Musa Barrow substituting Nicolas Dominguez hoping for a miracle but it was not to be.

The goal was on its way. Bologna could not get rid of the ball just outside the penalty box, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic passed it to Ciro Immobile who, with only Skorupski to beat, made it 2-1.

There were 11 minutes to go but the game was virtually over. Bologna did not have any energy left and the only thing that was worth noting were the substitutions: in came Matteo Cancellieri (excellent last ten minutes), Matias Vecino and Elseid Hysaj for Felipe Anderson, Milinkovic Savic and Lazzari for Lazio and Emanuel Vignato instead of Cambiaso for Bologna.

Lazio deservedly, despite a terrible referee and an uphill start, pocketed the three points.

Who played for Lazio

Maximiano, Lazzari (83' Hysaj), Patric, Romagnoli, Marusic, Milinkovic-Savic (83' Vecino), Cataldi (65' Luis Alberto), Basic (8' Provedel), Felipe Anderson (83' Cancellieri), Immobile, Zaccagni 

Substitutes: Adamonis, Gila, Radu, Kamenovic, Marcos Antonio, Bertini, Romero, Moro

Manager: Sarri

Who played for Bologna

Skorupski, Soumaoro, Medel, Lykogiannis (64' Kasius), De Silvestri, Dominguez (74' Barrow), Schouten, Soriano (64' Aebischer), Cambiaso (86' Vignato), Sansone (46' Bonifazi), Arnautovic

Substitutes: Bardi, Bagnolini, Angeli, Orsolini, Raimondo, Motolese, Amey, Urbanski, Mbaye

Manager: Mihajlovic

Referee: Massimi

Goals: 8' Arnautovic (pen), 68' De Silvestri (og), 79' Immobile

Bookings: Sansone, Arnautovic, Soumaoro, Cambiaso, Lazzari, Aebischer, Immobile

Sent off: Maximiano, Soumaro (double yellow card)