A game of two halves, goals missed and goals scored

Dag Jenkins

Oct 24, 20233 min read

Season 2000-01

Champions League, First Group Phase, Game 5

Wednesday, October 25, 2000

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio-Shakhtar Donetsk 5-1

After missing the impossible Lazio score five second half goals and qualify for the next round

This evening was the fifth fixture in the Champions League group phase. Lazio had so far won 2 (Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 away on debut and Sparta Prague 3-0 at home), drawn 1 (Arsenal 1-1 at home) and lost 1 (Arsenal 0-2 away). Lazio were on 7 points behind Arsenal on 10.

With a win Lazio could already book a place in the second group stage.

The match

There was not a big crowd tonight, around 15,000.

Shakhtar Donetsk were still almost all Ukrainians as this was the period before they started playing with several Brazilians. Lazio were without Sinisa Mihajlovic and Fabrizio Ravanelli but fielded a strong side.

It became clear early on that there was a huge gap in skill between the two teams. Lazio had chance after chance but could not score. The Biancocelesti had eleven shots on target but zero goals. Simone Inzaghi missed a few sitters and had a perfectly good goal disallowed for offside (still many years until VAR), Pavel Nedved shaved the post, the keeper saved from a low Juan Sebastian Veron free kick, from a Fernando Couto header and from Claudio Lopez several times. The Argentine also had a lob cleared off the line by a defender. It almost seemed too easy, causing Lazio to lack the killer instinct.

In all this Shakhtar had threatened once with a cross goal shot parried by Angelo Peruzzi but then unexpectedly struck in the 42nd minute. A high ball over Couto and Beppe Favalli found Vorobei who headed on and just inside the area on the left blasted a brilliant left foot into the top near corner. A superb goal and Lazio 0 Shakhtar Donetsk 1.

In a game so far dominated Lazio were one-nil down at the break.

Lazio made two changes over halftime, more offensive midfielder Dejan Stankovic came on for Roberto Baronio and Hernan Crespo replaced an inconclusive Inzaghi (although to be fair he had scored a perfectly good goal).

Lazio came back on, aware of the fact that it's no use showing you are by far the better team if you do not score. It went from a drought to a flood.

In the 48th minute Nedved headed on, Crespo flicked it into the area to Claudio Lopez who hooked a left footer into the far corner, 1-1.

In the 54th minute Lazio went in front. Favalli on the left vertex of the area nutmegged a defender, went a few metres forward and drilled a low shot in on the far post. A class goal and 2-1.

The gates had opened and in the 57th minute Veron made it three. He curled a sublime free kick from the right vertex into the front post corner. When shown from behind the goal one can appreciate just how much the ball turned, 3-1.

At this point the Ukrainians had the first of their two second half shots on target, a long range effort which bounced in front of Peruzzi causing him some problems.

In the 68th minute Lopez got his brace when on the counter attack he ran thirty metres undisturbed, went round the keeper and slotted the ball in for the 4-1.

In the 70th minute Nestor Sensini replaced Attilio Lombardo and soon after the visitors had a shot which Peruzzi comfortably caught.

There was still time for Lopez to get his hat-trick. In the 90th minute Crespo's through ball found "El Piojo"(Flea) inside the area on the left and he beat Virt with a low shot in the opposite corner. Final score Lazio 5 Shakhtar Donetsk 1.

An ultimately easy win for Lazio after a first half scare that was mainly self inflicted. With the right concentration the goal came, lots of them.

Lazio were through to the next round while the Ukranians, to get into the consolatory UEFA Cup, now had to beat Arsenal at home and hope Lazio won in Prague.

Who played for Lazio

Peruzzi, Pancaro, Nesta, Fernando Couto, Favalli, Lombardo (70' Sensini), Baronio (46' Stankovic), Veron, Nedved, S.Inzaghi (46' Crespo), C.Lopez