Game 8, Serie A
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Stadio Armando Picchi, Livorno
Livorno Lazio 0-1
Lazio beat a lacklustre Livorno with a solitary Pandev goal despite playing the last twenty minutes in ten men
In Serie A Lazio were struggling. They drew the first three, lost at Bergamo and then got their first win after five matches (Cagliari 3-1). After 7 games the Biancocelesti had 7 points and were in joint 13th place with Torino and Cagliari.
So far Livorno only had 2 points after two draws (Genoa 1-1 away and Inter 2-2 at home) and five defeats. They were bottom of the table.
Lazio were favourites today but Livorno had a new manager and that often brought renewed enthusiasm albeit sometimes for a brief period before returning to old habits.
The match
A sunny day in Leghorn but with a strong wind, the famous south-westerly "Libeccio" which often blows on the Tuscan port city. There were less than 10,000 spectators in the Ardenza area near the Naval Academy. The name Leghorn curiously derives from a type of Tuscan chicken which used to be shipped from Livorno to the USA and GB.
Livorno had more or less a full squad to choose from while Lazio were without defender Emílson Cribari plus midfielders Gaby Mudingayi and Cristian Ledesma.
The game started with the hosts extremely timid and cautious. Lazio at least had a few attacks: in the 3rd minute Tommaso Rocchi had a header go high, in the 9th a Robero Baronio effort was deflected into corner and in the 23rd minute Stefano Mauri spun round in the area but his shot was too tame and central. In doing so however, he suffered a muscular problem and three minutes later was forced off and replaced by Mourad Meghni.
Lazio had another shot in the 28th minute but Massimo Mutarelli's attempt was just wide. All Livorno mustered were a couple of scrambles in the area but never managed an actual shot on target.
In the 40th minute Livorno made a substitution too, one former Lazio for another as Emanuele Filippini came on for Giuliano Giannichedda.
Just as a pretty boring first half was coming to an end Lazio scored. Goran Pandev combined with Tommaso Rocchi at the edge of the box and the Macedonian then let off a low shot which took a light but crucial deflection off Rahman Rezaei and beat Marco Amelia. Livorno 0 Lazio 1.
All in all, a deserved lead for Lazio who had at least tried to create something.
Not much changed in the second half. In the 52nd minute Pandev caused havoc in the Livorno box but could not get a shot in.
In the 56th minute the hosts put on talented Alessandro Diamanti for Edgar Álvarez.
Two minutes later, however, it was Lazio who went close to doubling their lead. Baronio curled an excellent freekick towards the right top hand corner but Amelia got there with the tip of his fingers.
Another substitution for the Amaranto in the 65th minute, role for role, Albanian forward Erjon Bogdani for Fausto Rossini.
In the 69th came a potential game changer when Lazio’s Fabio Firmani received a second yellow for a late tackle and was off.
One then expected a surge forward by Livorno but for now nothing changed. It was Lazio who almost scored again but Amelia did well to deny Pandev.
In the 73rd minute Lazio put on a more defensively competent midfielder, Christian Manfredini for Meghni and in the 83rd replaced a tired Rocchi with Stephen Makinwa.
It was in the last ten minutes that Livorno finally stirred. They finally had a shot on target in the 36th minute with Nico Pulzetti but Marco Ballotta was safe, in the 37th Diamanti hit the side netting and in the 39th Ballotta flew off his line to palm away a shot-cum cross by Giovanni Pasquale.
It was too little too late and Lazio came away with the three points. Livorno 0 Lazio 1.
Lazio had not been brilliant but had done enough to leave the field deserved winners against a poor Livorno.
It looked like it would need a minor miracle for this afternoon's Livorno to avoid relegation. The local fans certainly thought so as the protests mounted in the home side's Curva Nord, directed mainly at owner Aldo Spinelli.
Who played for Livorno
Amelia, Rezaei, Grandoni, Galante, Alvarez (56' Diamanti), Pulzetti, Giannichedda (40' E. Filippini), Loviso, Pasquale, Tavano, Rossini (65' Bogdani)
Substitutes: De Lucia, Knezevic, Pavan, Dhorasoo
Manager: Camolese
Who played for Lazio
Ballotta, Stendardo, Zauri, Siviglia, Firmani, Mutarelli, Baronio, Behrami, Mauri (26' Meghni, 76' Manfredini), Rocchi (83' Makinwa), Pandev
Manager: D. Rossi
Referee: Celi
Goal: 49' Pandev
Red Card: 69' Firmani (L)
Sources
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