Game 18, Serie A
Friday, January 15, 2021
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Roma 3-0
Lazio dominate and annihilate the Giallorossi
In the first match of the season Lazio were defeated by Atalanta. In the following 16 games they had won 8, drawn 4 and lost 4. The Biancocelesti came into this match after two consecutive wins, the last was a 2-0 away win at Parma. Lazio were currently 6th on 28 points, five points off 4th placed Atalanta, in the last Champions League position.
The match
There were no fans inside the stadium but as usual the "derby della capitale" had been the talk of the town all week.
Neither Lazio nor Roma had any injury or suspension issues so fielded their best 11's.
In the first fifteen minutes the teams sized each other up and not much happened.
Then the game suddenly came to life. On the quarter hour mark Ciro Immobile picked up a loose ball in midfield and opened to Manuel Lazzari down the right wing where he was anticipated by Roger Ibañez who however messed up his control and the ball, also touched by Lazzari, spun across the area to Immobile who pounced and beat Pau López. Lazio 1 Roma 0. A major blunder by the Brazilian defender and it would be by no means his last either in this derby or in future derbies.
Roma had no reaction and in the 24th minute Lazio scored again. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic sent Lazzari charging down the right wing where he won the sprint with Ibañez who seemed to foul him inside the area but no whistle came so Lazzari got up and teed up Luis Alberto who placed a surgically precise low right footed strike to Pau López' right. Lazio 2 Roma 0.
Roma stirred but all they could muster was a Henrikh Mkhitaryan half volley which went a metre or so wide. Half time Lazio 2 Roma 0.
For the second half Roma put on a more attacking Pedro for midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini. It made little difference and Lazio continued to be in total control.
Lazio had more chances. A Luis Alberto-Immobile move was finished off by Milinkovic-Savic but saved well by Lopez. Then an Immobile initiative challenged by three defenders ended with the ball spinning to Felipe Caicedo in front of goal but the Ecuadorian could not get enough power on his volley and Lopez blocked. Luis Alberto then sent Immobile bursting into the area on the left but his powerful cross goal effort was parried away by the Roma keeper.
The goal was coming and it came in with 23 minutes to go. By then Lazio had subbed Lucas Leiva for Gonzalo Escalante and Caicedo for Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro while Roma had changed Villar for Bryan Cristante.
In the 67th minute Lazio scored a great goal. The move started in their own half and after a myriad of tight, short passes Lazzari burst into Roma's half, ball to Akpa Akpro on the right who squared it centrally, Immobile dummied and Luis Alberto, the "Mago" from San José del Valle, controlled the ball at the edge of the box and curled a low shot in near the far post. Lazio 3 Roma 0. Total annihilation.
Lazio then replaced Luiz Felipe with Patric while the Giallorossi tried to add some energy by changing Leonardo Spinazzola with Bruno Peres and throwing on another striker Borja Mayoral for Gianluca Mancini but the game did not change.
With seven minutes to go and with the game won Lazio brought on Wesley Hoedt and Vedat Muriqi for Stefan Radu and captain Ciro Immobile.
Roma were dead and buried but they did have one shot at goal late on to save their faces. Rick Karsdorp crossed in from the right and the ball went through the whole crowded area and reached Edin Džeko on the far post, the Bosnian hit it low with his left foot from close range but Pepe Reina saved with his thigh. Final score Lazio 3 Roma 0.
The Biancoceleste side of town celebrated in front of their TV screens while the Giallorossi probably turned theirs off as soon as possible.
An ultimately easy win for Lazio. They had taken advantage of Roma's defensive weaknesses and then cruised to a comfortable win. If anything, the Biancocelesti could and should have won by more goals. Not that any Lazio fans were complaining.
Lazio moved up to 7th on 31 points while Roma remained 4th but were caught up by Napoli on 34.
Who played for Lazio
Reina, Luiz Felipe (69' Patric), Acerbi, Radu (83' Hoedt), Lazzari, Milinkovic-Savic, Leiva (65' Escalante), Luis Alberto, Marusic, Caicedo (65' Akpa Akpro), Immobile (83' Muriqi)
Manager: Inzaghi
Who played for Roma
Pau Lopez, Mancini (70' Mayoral), Smalling, Ibañez, Karsdorp, Villar (60' Cristante), Veretout, Spinazzola (71' Bruno Peres) Pellegrini (46' Pedro), Mkhitaryan, Dzeko
Substitutes: Fuzato, Farelli, Kumbulla, Fazio, Juan Jesus, Diawara, Podgoreanu, Perez
Manager: Fonseca
Referee: Orsato
Goals: 15' Immobile, 24' Luis Alberto, 67' Luis Alberto
Sources
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