It doesn’t get any better than this

Season 2011-12

Game 7, Serie A

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Roma 2-1

A last gasp goal by Klose sends Lazio fans into delirium

In the first five games of Serie A Lazio had won two, drawn two and lost one. They were sixth on 8 points just like today’s rival, the cousins from across the Tiber.

The match

In the last two seasons Lazio had never beaten Roma. The last win had been a 4-2 on April 11 2009. From then on only defeats. Manager Edy Reja had also never beaten the Giallorossi and during the week preceding the derby he had got a lot of slack from the Roma players. But Lazio now had Miro Klose.

At the beginning of the game it was all Roma. In the 5th minute Valdes José Angel crossed from the left but the Lazio defence managed to block. Abdoulay Konko cleared but he just passed the ball to Fernando Gago who immediately passed to Miralem Pjanic. The Bosnian sent the ball into the box, the Biancocelesti tried to cut the Giallorossi forwards out by applying the off side tactic but it did not work, Pablo Osvaldo was all alone in front of Federico Marchetti and scored. In celebration he showed a t-shirt underneath his jersey, copying what Francesco Totti had written on his in a derby a few years back, mocking the Biancocelesti.

In the 10th minute a shot by Simone Perrotta went just out and at that point Lazio decided that it was time to join the match and a minute later Djibril Cissé went off on the counter attack, ball towards the middle where Hernanes and Klose were arriving. The Brazilian passed to the German whose shot from inside the box went just wide. In the 24th Hernanes tried a shot from a long way out, again wide. In the 27th a colossal chance for the Giallorossi. A 3 against 3 counter attack allowed José Angel, on the left with no opponents, to cross into the box, Krkic Bojan arrived late, Marchetti tried to stop the ball and missed, Osvaldo fumbled and Giuseppe Biava kicked the ball into corner. Instead of a high cross Roma opted for a low pass and Krkic had another chance but his shot was saved by Marchetti.

At the end of the first half, Roma on top and Lazio in a spot of bother.

The Biancocelesti were a lot more aggressive in the second half and in the 51st minute Cristian Brocchi interrupted a Roma attack and went for the fast counter attack. Ball to Hernanes who passed it back to Brocchi running into the box. Simon Kjaer fouled him on entry. Penalty for Lazio and red card for the Dane. Hernanes took the spot kick and equalised. A completely different ball game now.

In the 54th minute, long ball to Klose from the right, the German just inside the box volleyed towards the goal, Maarten Stekelenburg saved into corner (not given by the referee). In the 70th minute corner for Lazio. Cristian Ledesma crossed inside the box, Klose headed the ball towards the goal but it hit the crossbar. A minute later another corner, this time taken by Hernanes who tried a shot at the goal but the Dutch keeper cleared. Roma were in great difficulty and Lazio smelt blood.

In the 80th minute Ledesma to Senad Lulic, low cross to the middle but Stefano Mauri’s attempt was too high. A minute later Mauri in the Roma half saw Cissé move towards the box and sent him a perfect high pass. Magnificent volley from the Frenchman, post!!! It would have been one of the greatest goals in Lazio history.

In the 89th minute Hernanes saw Lulic arriving on the left wing so ball to him. The Bosnian faked a cross, the Roma defender fell for it, and he tried a shot, Stekelenburg saved into corner.

Time was running out for Lazio. With thirty seconds to the final whistle, Hernanes was in the middle of the Roma half, ball to Francelino Matuzalem who, without looking, put a lovely ball into the box for Klose. The German stopped, shot and scored.

At the stadium it was pure mayhem. Reja, always very composed, went berserk. The players, substitutes and members of staff all jumped on top of Klose. In Rome pets were terrorised by owners shouting and windows got shattered by the cries of “gooooooaaaaaalllll”, Laziali all over the world celebrated. The Biancocelesti had turned the derby around and won.

Who played for Lazio

Marchetti, Konko, Biava, Dias, Radu (46’ Lulic), Gonzalez (60’ Mauri), Ledesma, Brocchi (75’ Matuzalem), Hernanes, Klose, Cissé