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Writer's pictureSimon Basten

Will Lazio ever learn from their mistakes?

Updated: Jun 8, 2023

2022-23 Season

Game 17

January 8, 2023

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Rome, Stadio Olimpico

Lazio Empoli 2-2





Lazio throw away a victory against Empoli and continue to make the same mistakes over and over


The match


Maurizio Sarri changes two players compared to the dismal performance at Lecce and in come both Luis Alberto and Felipe Anderson in place of Toma Basic and Pedro.


And the two immediately have a massive impact on the game. In the 2nd minute, a Luis Alberto corner is headed first by Felipe Anderson and then by Francesco Caputo and ends up in the back of the net. 1-0 for Lazio.


In the first 20 minutes Lazio are very aggressive and Empoli have difficulty in getting over their half way line. In the 9th minute Ciro Immobile has a chance in the penalty box but his shot is too high.


In the 19th minute Lazio almost make it 2-0. Felipe Anderson on the counter attack on the right, once he is near the penalty box, ball to the other side for Mattia Zaccagni. The Lazio forward’s shot is just wide.


And that is it for the first half apart from a possible penalty on Immobile ignored by the ref in the 34th minute. Lazio then reduce speed and aggressiveness and let Empoli come forward. The Tuscans however do very little and Lazio are in complete control, though with less quality than in the first 20 minutes, and basically no important chances are created.


Manuel Lazzari is booked towards the end of the first half and will miss the next game.


Second half


Lazio put their foot on the accelerator in the second half and press like mad to try to get a second goal which they do in the 54th minute. Felipe Anderson on the right attempts a shot just inside the box, there is a deflection and the ball reaches Zaccagni on the left. Great control and chip over the Empoli goalkeeper. 2-0 for Lazio.


Empoli substitute two players in 56th minute. In come Nicolò Cambiaghi and Filippo Bandinelli, out go Tommaso Baldanzi and Alberto Grassi. Lazio seem to be content with the result and slow down, allowing Empoli to come forward, just like what happened in the first half.


Empoli have their first real chance of the game in the 60th minute. Jacopo Fazzini crosses in from the right, Caputo is exactly between Nicolò Casale and Alessandro Romagnoli but his header is wide. A minute later Pedro comes in for Zaccagni. Big mistake. One can see immediately that the Spaniard is in physical difficulty and this makes Empoli more dangerous on his side.


In the 63rd minute Sergej Milinkovic-Savic gets the ball in the Empoli half and shoots from 30 metres, Guglielmo Vicario manages to get a hand to the ball and pushes it onto the post.


Five more substitutions. Marko Pjaca, Tyronne Ebuehi and Nedim Bajrami for Martin Satriano, Petar Stojanovic and Fazzini for Empoli, Eliseid Hysaj and Mattias Vecino for Lazzari and Danilo Cataldi for the Biancocelesti.


In the 82nd minute, Bandinelli, who was booked earlier in the second half, commits another bookable offence but the ref is lenient.


In the 84th minute Empoli reduce the deficit. Immobile receives the ball in the Empoli box off a corner but loses it. Quick counterattack by the Tuscans with Bajrami who lobs the ball over the limited Lazio defence for Cambiaghi who all alone runs along the right wing and once in Lazio’s half sees Caputo unmarked in the centre. Ball to the new Empoli forward who scores. Game open.


In the 86th minute Basic substitutes Luis Alberto. Empoli put even more pressure on the Lazio defence who are pushed back. In the second minute of injury time, Vecino is booked and Empoli awarded a free kick, despite the fact that there was no foul. The free kick generates a corner which is quickly taken. Bajrami dribbles past Pedro with ease and sends the ball in the centre. Felipe Anderson clears but Razvan Marin from outside the box has a comfortable shot which he slots behind Ivan Provedel.


Lazio throw away a certain victory. Will we ever learn from our mistakes? Mind you, if the ref had sent Bandinelli off, things may have been different.





Who played for Lazio


Provedel; Lazzari (70' Hysaj), Casale, Romagnoli, Marusic; Milinkovic-Savic, Cataldi (70' Vecino), Luis Alberto (87' Basic); Felipe Anderson, Immobile, Zaccagni (60' Pedro).

Substitutes: Maximiano, Adamonis, Patric, Marcos Antonio, Cancellieri, Romero, Radu, Bertini.

Manager: Sarri


Who played for Empoli


Vicario; Stojanovic (68' Ebuehi), Ismaili, Luperto, Parisi; Grassi (56' Bandinelli), Marin, Fazzini (76' Bajrami); Baldanzi (56' Cambiaghi); Caputo, Satriano (68' Pjaca).

Substitutes: Perisan, Ujkani, Cacace, Walukiewicz, De Winter, Henderson, Ekong, Degli Innocenti, Guarino.

Manager: Zanetti.


Referee: Pezzuto


Goals: 2’ Felipe Anderson, 54’ Zaccagni, 83’ Caputo, 94’ Marin


Bookings: Lazzari, Romagnoli, Pedro, Bandinelli, Vecino





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