Game 16, Serie A
Monday, December 16, 2024
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Inter 0-6
Inter score their first on a dubious penalty and the Biancocelesti collapse
The match
With Matias Vecino and Alessio Romagnoli out injured and Taty Castellanos suspended, Marco Baroni was forced to put Tijani Noslin in the centre of the attack and Patric in defence. Apart from that, in came the weekend team, as usual.
First half
A fairly blocked game in the beginning with not much happening. Nuno Tavares tried a shot in the 7th minute easily parried by Yann Sommer, Inter responded with a Denzel Dumfries header which went over the crossbar two minutes later. In the 11th minute Gustav Isaksen shot at goal, again safely saved by the keeper.
A possible game changer came in the 22nd minute. Adam Marusic to Nicolò Rovella on the right, cross into the box for Noslin, unmarked, but the Dutch forward could not get a good enough connection and the ball went high. In the 26th minute Mario Gila was forced off because not feeling well. In came Samuel Gigot with no warm up. The Frenchman was in difficulty right from the start and one could see that Lazio were not as compact as they had been with the Spaniard.
In the 35th minute there was a corner for Inter. Hakan Calhanoglu crossed, Dumfries anticipated Gigot with rather too much energy, Ivan Provedel parried, Stephen de Vrij scored but he was in offside. As the Dutchman was about to shoot, Lautaro Martinez involuntarily kicked Gigot in the head with the Frenchman on the ground.
Was that it? No. VAR intervened. As Dumfries and Gigot were jumping, the Inter player clashed with the Lazio defender who lost his balance. The ball was very close to his arm but it was clearly involuntary since he was falling. For the ref and VAR it was handball hence a penalty to Inter. A very harsh decision. Calhanoglu took the spokick and scored.
Lazio felt robbed and had a few minutes of blackout which Inter capitalized on. Dumfries in the 45th minute crossed into the box from the right, Marusic was too far forward and could not intervene, Federico Dimarco volleyed the ball in.
Second half
Lazio collapsed in the second 45 minutes. Forced to play Marusic as full back because Gigot was not able to overcome the dizziness following Lautaro’s kick on the head, the team just faded away. Inter scored another four times with Barella in the 51st minute (great goal), Dumfries two minutes later, Carlos Augusto in the 79th and Marcus Thuram in the 90th minute.
It was the worst home defeat in history for the Biancocelesti, worse than the 0-5 against Fiorentina in 1959-60.
An understandable blackout, but a pity it came in the game that could have brought glory.
Who played for Lazio
Provedel, Marusic, Patric, Gila (28' Gigot, 46' Lazzari), Nuno Tavares, Guendouzi, Rovella; Isaksen (57' Tchaouna), Pedro (57' Dele-Bashiru), Zaccagni (80' Castrovilli), Noslin
Substitutes: Mandas, Furlanetto, Pellegrini, Dia
Manager: Baroni
Who played for Inter
Sommer, Bisseck (46' Darmian), de Vrij, Bastoni (63' C. Augusto), Dumfries, Barella (75' Zielinski), Calhanoglu (63' Asllani), Mkhitaryan, Dimarco (82' Buchanan), Lautaro, Thuram
Substitutes: Martinez, Calligaris, Arnautovic, Correa, Frattesi, Palacios, Taremi
Manager: Inzaghi
Referee: Chiffi
Goals: 41' Calhanoglu (pen), 45' Dimarco, 51' Barella, 53' Dumfries, 79' C. Augusto, 90' Thuram
Booked: Calhanoglu (I), Bastoni (I), Rovella (L), Bisseck (I), Darmian (I), Zaccagni (L)
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