Game 3, Serie A
Friday, August 26, 2022
Rome, Stadio Ollmpico
Lazio Inter 3-1
A wonderful display by Lazio with three exceptional goals from Felipe Anderson, Luis Alberto and Pedro that bury Inter. It is not the first time Inzaghi loses to Sarri …
In the first game of the season Lazio had won against Bologna coming from behind and in the second had drawn 0-0 away with Torino.
Maurizio Sarri confirmed the team that had played against Torino the previous Saturday despite Manuel Lazzari having had a fever on the eve of the game. Simone Inzaghi decided to put Denzel Dumfires and Federico Dimarco on the wings and surprisingly put Roberto Gagliardini in place of Hakan Calhanoglu.
The match
There were high expectations for this match and it certainly did not disappoint. Inter took charge of the proceedings in the early stages but Lazio were very tight and there was little space. The Milanese tried to move the ball from one side of the pitch to the other but they were not particularly dangerous.
Lazio on the other hand, after the first quarter of an hour, started to show more courage. In the 16th minute Adam Marusic crossed the ball low in the penalty box and Ciro Immobile’s shot went only slightly wide.
The match was very intense but Lazio showed that they were more capable than Inter in actually playing the ball. As a consequence, there were several professional fouls by the Nerazzurri but the referee had unfortunately forgotten his yellow card in the changing rooms so he could not book any of the Inter players.
Lazio had another chance in the 34th minute when Mattia Zaccagni on the left-hand side of the penalty box took a shot that looked promising but was deflected into corner by Milan Skriniar. Three minutes later Immobile had another chance. Felipe Anderson slipped in front of Dimarco and passed the ball to the Lazio captain but his immediate shot was too central and Samir Handanovic cleared.
A Lazio goal looked imminent and it came in the 40th minute. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic received the ball just past the halfway line, stopped, looked around, and sent a wonderful pass over the Inter defence. Alessandro Bastoni and Dimarco were distracted and Felipe Anderson crept behind them heading the ball in for his first goal of the season.
Two minutes later there was a possible penalty for Inter but Romelu Lukaku was offside so no need for a check.
Immobile had an early chance to make it 2-0 after only two minutes of the second half. Lazzari finally started galloping down the right wing and passed to Ciro in the penalty box. His immediate shot on the front post was saved into corner by Handanovic.
Lazio were in control and Inter looked like they did not have a clue. But there was a free kick for the Nerazzurri on the left in the 51st minute. Dimarco crossed, Danilo Cataldi headed the ball high in the box, Dumfries got there first, and Lautaro Martinez all by himself in front of Ivan Provedel equalised.
Lazio had a blackout. Panic set in and Inter almost made it two. Dimarco crossed from the left and Dumfries on the far right had a great opportunity but his header was brilliantly saved by Provedel.
Sarri decided it was time for a change and in the 57th minute in came Pedro and Luis Alberto in place of Zaccagni and Matias Vecino. This was a decisive move for Lazio and the players woke up.
Inzaghi helped Lazio 12 minutes later with his three changes. Demonstrating his chronic inability to read matches, out went Dumfries, Dimarco and Lukaku and in came Matteo Darmian, Robin Gosens and Edin Dzeko. With these changes the former Lazio manager de facto handed over the match to his former employers. In the 72th minute Elseid Hysaj substituted Lazzari. A heroic performance by the Lazio right back who was certainly not 100% after having a fever.
In the 75th minute Lazio made it 2-1. Milinkovic-Savic from the right side of the penalty box sent the ball in low to Pedro on the other side. The former Barcelona player saw Luis Alberto outside the box and passed the ball to the Spaniard. What we witnessed was one of the finest goals in the history of Lazio. Luis Alberto’s powerful volley went into the far-right top hand corner of the goal with Handanovic completely still.
Inzaghi sent in Calhanoglu and Joaquin Correa but it was too late for the former and the latter confirmed his inadequacy. Inter did try but Lazio were now too strong both defensively and mentally. With six minutes to go Sarri substituted Cataldi and Felipe Anderson with Marcos Antonio and Matteo Cancellieri.
One minute later it was 3-1 for Lazio. Luis Alberto passed the ball in the box to Immobile who was fouled by Darmian but still able to pass it to Pedro who moved past Stefan De Vrij and scored.
It was all over for Inter. Lautaro was the last to give up and he had a couple of shots saved by Provedel. Cancellieri and Immobile had a chance each but the score remained 3-1.
A wonderful performance by Lazio on a very, very humid night at the Olimpico.
Who played for Lazio
Provedel, Lazzari (71' Hysaj), Patric, Romagnoli, Marusic, Milinkovic-Savic, Cataldi (83' Marcos Antonio), Vecino (57' Luis Alberto), Felipe Anderson (83' Cancellieri), Immobile, Zaccagni (57' Pedro).
Manager: Sarri
Who played for Inter
Handanovic, Skriniar, de Vrij, Bastoni, Dumfries (68' Darmian), Barella (77' Correa), Brozovic, Gagliardini (77' Calhanoglu), Dimarco (68' Gosens), Lukaku (68' Dzeko), Lautaro
Substitutes: Onana, Cordaz, D’Ambrosio, Bellanova, Agoumè, Asllani
Manager: Inzaghi
Referee: Fabbri
Goals: 40' Felipe Anderson, 51' Lautaro, 75' Luis Alberto, 86' Pedro
Bookings: Zaccagni, Marusic, Brozovic
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