Game 37, Serie A
Sunday, May 28, 2023
Stadio Olimpico Rome
Lazio Cremonese 3-2
Lazio self inflict a dramatic game on themselves but ultimately win on a day of celebrations for the tenth anniversary of May 26 and Radu’s last match at the Olimpico
May 26 tenth anniversary celebrations
Before the match a number of players who were on the pitch and bench on the famous May 26 2013 Coppa Italia derby final were presented and had a lap of honour with the cup. Those present were Federico Marchetti, Albano Bizzari, Hernanes, Stefano Mauri, Antonio Candreva, Miro Klose, Abdoulay Konko, Christian Brocchi, Giuseppe Biava, Cristian Ledesma, Sergio Floccari, Luca Crecco, Libor Kozak, Lorik Cana, Antonio Manicone (assistant to Vladimir Petković) and obviously Senad Lulic. Stefan Radu also joined his former teammates. Loud cheers for everybody!!!
A special jersey was made by Mizuno and sold out almost immediately. The players wore it for this match.
Maurizio Sarri left Felipe Anderson on the bench while Pedro started. Adam Marusic had surgery during the week and his season was over, so Manuel Lazzari was the right back. Theoretically Lazio were already in the Champions League following Juventus’ 10-point docking during the week for administrative irregularities. But you never know, so it was important to win to secure second place and mathematically reach the European top competition regardless of point deductions.
The Olimpico was absolutely packed, all tickets were sold, 64,000 fans. Many came for the May 26 celebrations, many for the match, but all came to say goodbye to Stefan Radu in his last home game before retiring.
Lazio scored immediately. In the 4th minute, Luis Alberto sent a great ball to Ciro Immobile who immediately passed to Elseid Hysaj in the box. The Albanian, face to face with Cremonese goalkeeper Mouhamadou Sarr, beat him with a low shot on the far post. 1-0 for Lazio and first goal of the season for Hysaj.
At this point Lazio switched off for a while with the exception of a Matias Vecino shot from outside the box in the 16th minute, safely saved by Sarr. Cremonese gained confidence and started attacking. In the 23rd minute a big chance for an equaliser. Matteo Bianchetti sent a great ball into the box for Frank Tsadjout, who shot. Just wide.
The Biancocelesti woke up and Alessio Romagnoli from a corner in the 29th minute managed to get a header in but it was too central and a few minutes later a Luis Alberto curler was safely parried by the Cremonese goalkeeper.
In the 36th minute Pedro went off on the right wing and crossed low, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic anticipated the Cremonese defenders and chipped the ball into the goal. 2-0 for Lazio.
Lazio mentally stayed in the changing rooms for most of the second half. In the 54th minute, Emanuele Valeri crossed into the Lazio box, Lazzari blocked, Tsadjout got to the ball before Milinkovic-Savic and passed back to Valeri. The Cremonese left back saw Pablo Galdames in a perfect position outside the box on the left, ball to the Chilean, great shot, with a slight deflection, and the Lombards reduced the deficit. Not content with having let Cremonese back into the game, the Biancocelesti then made things worse. In the 57th minute cross into the box by Leonardo Cernicola, Daniel Ciofani could not make contact, Lazzari, all alone, headed the ball back to Ivan Provedel but it was too far from the goalkeeper. It hit the post and went in. Silence in the stadium. Bewilderment, even the commentator for Lazio Style Channel was lost for words. Lazio 2 Cremonese 2.
Sarri tried to come to Lazio’s rescue and in came Felipe Anderson for Pedro in the 60th minute. Cremonese took off Ciofani for Cristian Buonaiuto.
Five minutes later Felipetto from outside the box gave the ball a massive whack that was brilliantly saved by Sarr. In the 71st, a magnificent long pass from Milinkovic-Savic to Immobile but King Ciro sent the ball over the crossbar. Lazio were back in the game even if there was a considerable dose of chaos. In the 75th minute Mattia Zaccagni in the box crossed for Milinkovic-Savic. The big Serb’s header beat Sarr but Alex Ferrari with a spectacular back heel on the line managed to clear. In the 80th minute Luca Pellegrini replaced Hysaj to increase crosses from the left wing.
Cremonese almost made it three in the 82nd minute as Tsadjout shot from outside the box but Provedel saved and Charles Pickel sent the rebound high from a difficult position.
In the 89th minute, corner for Lazio. Luis Alberto crossed a beautiful curling ball that nobody managed to make contact with on the front post, goalkeeper included. The ball was going into the goal but Johan Vasquez managed to keep it out with an arm, on the line Milinkovic-Savic nodded in an easy header, 3-2 for Lazio.
Sarri at this point sent in Toma Basic for Luis Alberto and allowed Radu his final five minutes of active football at the Olimpico. The Romanian replaced Zaccagni and Immobile gave him the captain’s armband.
Nothing happened in the five minutes of injury time with the exception of Sarri getting sent off for dissent.
Lazio won and whatever happened were now in the Champions League, they were in second place and sure of a top four finish. They were also guaranteed a place in the new Supercoppa formula (open now to four teams – scudetto winner and runner up, Coppa Italia winner and finalist). Inter won the Coppa Italia and were third in the league so even if they overtook Lazio the Biancocelesti would still be in the new format.
There was still one more game to win at Empoli to be sure of second place.
Today Lazio had made it a lot more complicated for themselves. A match is not over until the referee whistles the end. They blanked out and allowed Cremonese to equalise. Moreover, as correctly pointed out by my wife in one of the rare times she came to the stadium, there was too much insistence on playing on the left wing due to the fact that Vecino is not a playmaker and hence the ball was often given to Luis Alberto. But neither the Spaniard nor Zaccagni were in great form so things were made even more complicated.
But, all’s well that ends well.
Radu says goodbye
At the end of the match, Lazio’s 2013 players and the current squad stood in the centre of the pitch and Radu said goodbye to the fans.
“Lazio fans, thank you all for being present on this very important day for me. I have spent more than 15 years at your side. I say "by your side" because on the pitch, when I entered, I had the same soul as you: the soul of the Lazio fan. With this shirt I lived my life as a footballer, in this stadium I experienced unique moments, difficult days and immense joys, like all of you. Lazio are a family and this pitch is like home for me. I thank you because in victory but also in defeat, I never felt alone. On this journey we have always walked together. I am sure that my attachment to the Biancocelesti colours will never end. It will give me the strength to carry on in life with the same determination I've always had on the pitch. I sincerely thank President Lotito and the club because they allowed me to make this great dream come true: being able to say goodbye to football wearing this jersey. You took me in when I was little more than a boy. Here I grew up as a man and as a footballer. I thank my wife Alexandra and my sons Edoardo and Alessia, because I have never felt the absence of their support and their love. Thanks to all my teammates and technical staff over the years who allowed me to have an important role on the pitch and in the changing room. And this for me represents a great honour, even before being a great responsibility. When I wore the Biancoceleste jersey I did so with all my heart and passion. Now I know what it's like to be one of you. I know what it means to belong to the great Lazio family. And bonded with it forever. You can stop playing football but you can't stop being a Lazio fan! Thank you all, your Boss loves you”.
Stefan Radu, 427 appearances (349 in Serie A, 25 in Coppa Italia, 3 in Champions League, 46 in Europa League and four Super Coppa Finals), 8 goals (5 in Serie A, 2 in Coppa Italia and one in Europa League) and six trophies (Coppa Italia 2008-09, 2012-13 and 2018-19, Super Coppa 2009, 2017 and 2019). The player with the most appearances in Lazio history.
Thank you, Stefan.
Who played for Lazio
Provedel, Lazzari, Casale, Romagnoli, Hysaj (80' Pellegrini), Milinkovic-Savic, Vecino, Luis Alberto (90' Basic), Pedro (60' Felipe Anderson), Immobile, Zaccagni (90' Radu)
Substitutes: Maximiano, Adamonis, Patric, Gila, Ruggeri, Marcos Antonio, Bertini, Cancellieri, Gonzalez
Manager: Sarri
Who played for Cremonese
Sarr, Bianchetti, Ferrari, Lochoshvili (77' Vasquez), Sernicola, Pickel, Meité, Valeri (68' Quagliata), Galdames (68' Castagnetti), Ciofani (59' Bonaiuto), Tsadjout
Substitutes: Carnesecchi, Saro, Aiwu, Ghiglione, Afena-Gyan, Chiriches, Acella, Okereke.
Manager: Ballardini
Referee: Giua
Goals: 4’ Hysaj, 37’ Milinkovic-Savic, 54` Galdames, 58` Lazzari (og), 89' Milinkovic-Savic
Bookings: Sernicola, Galdames, Zaccagni, Pellegrini
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