Game 15, Serie A
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Lecce 3-3
Two goals down at halftime, and trailing again in the second, Lazio fight back and get point
The season started with a 3-0 defeat by Milan in the Supercoppa final. In the league Lazio earned 7 points in the first 3 games, with two away wins, but then started struggling. In the next four games the Biancocelesti only managed to muster one point (away draw at Bergamo). Lazio then beat Messina 2-0 at home, but since then had only earned 5 points in 6 games and had lost the last 2. Lazio were currently joint 14th with Livorno and Reggina on 16 points, 4 above the drop zone. Things were not going well.
There were already rumours that manager Domenico Caso could be sacked in the case of another defeat.
The match
A cold Saturday evening gathered about 35,000 at the Olimpico.
Lazio were without their two regular central defenders, Fernando Couto suspended and Sebastiano Siviglia injured. They were replaced by José Talamonti and Matias Lequi. The Biancocelesti also had to do without forward Roberto Muzzi.
Lecce had no real absences.
Lazio started positively and Goran Pandev had a dangerous shot saved by Sicignano. In the 6th minute Massimo Oddo had a long-range effort parried by Vincenzo Sicignano, Tommaso Rocchi was ready for the tap-in but he was in offside.
In the 9th minute however, Lecce went ahead on a rare Angelo Peruzzi blunder. Rodney Babù hit a seemingly weak shot towards goal but the "Cinghialone" let it go under his gloves. Lazio 0 Lecce 1.
At this point Lazio disappeared from the game and the Salentini dominated. The Giallorossi always had an extra man in midfield with full backs Marco Cassetti and Erminio Rullo pushing forward down the wings.
Lecce doubled their lead in the 32nd minute. Future Lazio, Cristian Ledesma was unchallenged in midfield and verticalised to Valeri Bojinov between Talamonti and Lequi, the Bulgarian then beat Peruzzi with a cool, low finish in the far corner. Lazio 0 Lecce 2.
The Biancocelesti were down and out while the Lupi were rampant. They threatened constantly and scored again with a Bojinov bicycle kick but fortunately for Lazio it was disallowed for, if at all, a millimetric offside. Halftime came to spare Lazio any further punishment.
Lecce two goals up and in total control.
We will never know what happened in the changing rooms during the break but someone, whether Domenico Caso, Paolo Di Canio or Claudio Lotito, must have got the players fired up. The team that came out for the second 45 minutes was unrecognisable from the slow, confused and apathetic outfit which had been so bad in the first.
Lazio made one change with Anthony Seric replacing a poor Oscar Lopez.
It was not so much a tactical matter but a change in attitude and desire which saw Lazio improve.
Lazio attacked from the start while Lecce seemed content to sit back, probably thinking the hosts had been so awful they would not pose much of a threat.
Di Canio was denied by the keeper after a classy movement. In the 51st minute however the game definitely changed. In a crowded area, following an Antonio Filippini shot, Rocchi pounced and resolved the matter with a low left foot. Lazio 1 Lecce 2.
It was completely a different game now. Gone were the confident and superior visitors. They Giallorossi seemed to go into panic mode and Lazio were all over them.
It was suddenly a siege with Lazio queuing up to equalise, Rocchi in particular missed a sitter in the 59th minute. Lazio breathed a sigh of relief in the 67th minute when Zeman substituted the always dangerous Bojinov with Saša Bjelanovic. A minute earlier Lazio had replaced midfielder Ousmane Dabo with forward Simone Inzaghi. Total attack but now with a vulnerable midfield.
In the 68th minute Lazio equalised thanks to defender Souleymane Diamoutene who messed up his ball control and then clumsily tripped Rocchi up for a clear penalty. Di Canio kept his cool with a low and accurate right foot and it was 2-2.
The game was now completely open. Lazio had the enthusiasm and Inzaghi, with only Sicignano to beat, tried a lob but the keeper stood firm and caught it. Lazio were on a high and piled forward but were unbalanced tactically.
Lecce took advantage in the 75th minute. On a counterattack Babù beat Seric and, with the outside of his foot, chipped the ball over a hesitant Peruzzi. Lazio 2 Lecce 3.
Doom and gloom at the Olimpico and the end of Caso’s reign?
No. Local lad Di Canio who always wore his heart on his sleeve when playing for his boyhood club equalised again. In the 77th minute Sicignano punched away a floating freekick but Di Canio was on the rebound and from the edge of the box scored with a low right foot. Lazio 3 Lecce 3.
Both sides tried to win it until the end. Zdenek Zeman put on two more players, in the 81st minute a more attacking minded midfielder Alexsej Ermenko for Guillermo Giacomazzi and in the 89th minute striker Mirko Vučnić for midfielder Alex Pinardi. Lazio were more cautious and in the 81st threw on midfielder Christian Manfredini for forward Goran Pandev.
Lazio looked the more likely to score. It was Manfredini who set up Lazio's last big chance to snatch the win, in the 89th minute he put in a good cross but Inzaghi's header anticipated Di Canio who was in a better position and the opportunity went wasted. Di Canio was not pleased and most probably blasted the Piacentino striker with some examples of Roman dialect.
The match ended 3-3. A highly entertaining and roller coaster game.
Both sides could have won but in the end Lazio were probably more pleased than Lecce. The Biancocelesti had reacted well after a dreadful first half and showed they still had fight and passion in them. Lecce got an away draw but would be kicking themselves for not putting Lazio out of their misery in the first period.
Who played for Lazio
Peruzzi, Oddo, Talamonti, Lequi, Oscar Lopez (46' Seric), Giannichedda, Dabo (66' S. Inzaghi), A. Filippini, Pandev (81' Manfredini), Di Canio, Rocchi
Manager: Caso
Who played for Lecce
Sicignano, Cassetti, Diamoutene, Stovini, Rullo, Giacomazzi (81' Eremenko), Ledesma, Dalla Bona, Bojinov (67' Bjelanovic), Babù, Pinardi (89' Vucinic)
Substitutes: Anania, Silvestri, Paci, Marianini
Manager: Zeman
Referee: Paparesta
Goals: 9' Babù, 32' Bojinov, 51' Rocchi, 68' Di Canio (pen), 75' Babù, 77' Di Canio
Sources
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