Deceiving scoreline but good win

Dag Jenkins

Nov 9, 20224 min read

Season 2008-09

Game 11, Serie A

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Siena 3-0

After an awful first half Lazio score three goals including a late Rocchi brace

In Serie A, Lazio had so far played 10 games and were in 5th position on 19 points. Lazio had won 5, drawn 2 and lost 3 but came from two consecutive wins.

Siena were in 12th position, on 12 points. They had won 3 (including Roma and Fiorentina, both 1-0 at home), drawn 3 and lost 4.

Lazio were favourites today but Siena were a decent team and had often caused them problems in the past.

The match

A grey November day saw about 30,000 gather for this Sunday afternoon game.

Lazio had Goran Pandev suspended. Cristian Brocchi and Stefan Radu were one booking away from a suspension too and they were on the bench. The next game was the derby and Tommaso Rocchi also started from the bench.

Siena were missing defender/midfielder Juan Camilo Zúñiga.

The first half was all Siena, with Lazio putting on their worst display of the season so far. Lazio with no real centre-forward struggled and were unable to get a shot on target. The Tuscans on the other hand had several chances.

The Bianconeri, today playing in red, had their first chance after four minutes when Abdel Kader Ghezzal shaved the post with a low left footed effort. Then the Argentine keeper Juan Pablo Carrizo brilliantly denied the Siena forward when he dived to his left to tip a volley away from the top hand corner.

In the 10th minute Massimo Maccarone missed a colossal opportunity when from a corner the ball reached him on the far-left post but he managed to put the seemingly easy tap-in wide. "Big Mac" then saw a header whistle past the right post.

After dominating the first twenty minutes Siena eased off and seemed to adapt to Lazio's low and sluggish level. Halftime Lazio 0 Siena 0.

The Biancocelesti had not turned up yet while Siena had started well but had lacked the conviction to insist and been dragged down to Lazio’s mediocrity.

Their tactical setup was clearly not working so for the second period they replaced Mourad Meghni with striker Tommaso Rocchi.

Lazio immediately looked more interested. In the 53rd minute from a corner David Rozehnal had a free shot but he pulled it wide.

In the 58th minute Lazio took the lead. On a freekick from the right of the box Mauro Zarate curled a superb shot round the wall and into the top right-hand corner. Lazio 1 Siena 0.

The visitors responded to the set back by replacing Daniele Galloppa and Houssine Kharja (both ex Roma) with Lukáš Jarolim and Mario Frick. Three forwards on the field now to go for the equaliser.

Siena then had a freekick of their own but Maccarone's shot was central and blocked by Carrizo. Simone Vergassola was then dangerous when inside the area on the right he crossed low into the goal mouth but Sebastiano Siviglia lunged and anticipated Ghezzal.

In the 71st minute Lazio made a second substitution bringing on Cristian Brocchi for Ousmane Dabo. In the 83rd the Biancocelesti buttoned up more putting defender Lorenzo De Silvestri on for attacking midfielder Pasquale Foggia.

In the 85th minute "Robur" played their last card and threw on another striker Emanuele Calaiò for midfielder Paul Codrea.

Their plan failed as a minute later Lazio scored their second. A perfect low cross by Zarate from the left found Rocchi in front of goal, the Venetian anticipated his marker and lunging forward put a low shot past Gianluca Curci from close range. Lazio 2 Siena 0.

Siena were down but not out and almost pulled one back when Calaiò cut inside Siviglia inside the area on the right and shot with his left foot from close range but it was central and Carrizo parried.

In 94th minute Lazio piled on more misery on the Tuscans. Zarate beat several defenders and burst into the area on the right where he fired off a powerful shot which was parried by Curci, it came out to Stephan Lichtsteiner who hammered another shot but again it was saved but only as far as the Swiss defender who squared it across to Rocchi who had one of the easiest goals of his career as he tapped it in with his left foot. Lazio 3 Siena 0.

An exaggerated score line compared to what the 90 minutes had shown. Lazio however had improved after a dismal first half and deserved the win. Man of the match was Zarate who, once he teamed up with Rocchi, became unstoppable.

A harsh result for Siena but they had lacked luck and then courage to take advantage of Lazio's hesitant start.

Lazio moved up to 4th on 22 points, fourteen above Roma and only two off leaders Inter. Siena were now joint 12th with Lecce on 12 points.

Who played for Lazio

Carrizo, Lichtsteiner, Siviglia, Rozehnal, Kolarov, Dabo (71' Brocchi), Ledesma, Meghni (46' Rocchi), Foggia (83' De Silvestri), Mauri, Zarate