Still in third place

Season 2017-18

Game 34, Serie A

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Sampdoria 4-0

Two headers and Immobile make it look easy against Sampdoria

After ten games the Biancocelesti were third with Juventus, behind Napoli and Inter, at the end of the first half of the season 4th. They were still third before today’s game, in the company of Roma and one point above Inter. Lazio’s objective was, as usual, a place in the next season’s champions league and these three teams were battling for third and fourth places.

The match

After just 18 minutes Lazio were forced to substitute Marco Parolo with Jordan Lukaku. In the 23rd minute a great cross into the box from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic found Lucas Leiva but his header went over the crossbar. In the 29th minute a Sampdoria corner was cleared by the Biancocelesti. The ball reached Edgar Barreto who with an impressive volley, from quite a distance, allowed Thomas Strakosha to shine with a difficult save. In the 32nd minute Stefan Radu from the left put in a high, slow, cross that Milinkovic-Savic headed into the goal for his tenth of the season.

Three minutes later Lukaku to Senad Lulic who crossed into the box. Emiliano Viviano cleared but the ball arrived to Leiva who promptly shot and was saved close to the line by Gian Marco Ferrari. In the 38th minute, Adam Marusic to Felipe Anderson on the right, the Brazilian tried a shot but the Samp keeper saved. The ball however reached Ciro Immobile who dribbled past a defender and tried a shot. Again, Viviano saved. In the 42nd minute corner for Lazio. Felipe Anderson crossed, Leiva tried a headed lob but the Sampdoria defence cleared. The ball reached the edge of the box and Marusic tried a powerful low volley which Viviano saved into corner. Corner again taken by Felipetto, higher trajectory and Stefan de Vrij headed the ball in.

In the second half, the Genoese tried to do something to reduce the deficit. Duvan Zapata in the 53rd minute beat the Lazio defenders and once in the box on the right tried a shot that went wide. In the 73rd minute Leiva crossed into the box and Martin Cáceres headed but it shaved the post.

In the 82nd minute Nani took a corner, Samp cleared but the ball reached Milinkovic-Savic who tried a shot that was deflected by Cáceres and almost went into the goal. Three minutes later the big Serb got the ball on the right near the by-line, looked up, low cross, Immobile made it three.