March 31, 2019: Inter-Lazio 0-1
- Dag Jenkins
- Mar 31
- 10 min read
Partial revenge for Lazio
Lazio defeat Inter away to pay them back for the previous year's bruising loss
Also on this day:
The season so far
Lazio had finished 5th the previous season under Simone Inzaghi. The highlights were wins against Milan 4-1, Sampdoria 4-0, Sassuolo 6-1, Benevento 6-2 at home and Juventus 2-1, Benevento 5-1, SPAL 5-2 and Fiorentina 4-3 away. They fought for a Champions League slot until the last game but were ultimately beaten 2-3 and overtaken by Inter. A disappointing end. Top scorer was Ciro Immobile with 41 goals (29 in A).
Lazio had however won a trophy, defeating Juventus 3-2 to lift the Italian Supercoppa. A fantastic win with a 93rd minute winner, after Juventus had come back from 0-2 late on.
In the UEFA Cup they had reached the quarterfinals but lost to Salzburg 5-6 (with 3 goals conceded in 4 minutes in the return leg). In Coppa Italia the Biancocelesti lost on penalties in the semi-final to Milan (after two 0-0 draws).
This season Inzaghi was still head coach. The main new signings were: keeper Silvio Proto (Olympiakos), defenders Francesco Acerbi (Sassuolo), Riza Durmisi (Betis Sevilla), midfielders Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Valon Berisha (Salzburg), Danilo Cataldi (Benevento - back from loan) plus forward Joaquín Correa (Sevilla).
Leaving Rome were: keeper Federico Marchetti (Genoa), defender Stefan de Vrij (Inter), midfielder Davide Di Gennaro (Salernitana - on loan), Felipe Anderson (West-Ham) plus forwards Filip Djordjevic (Chievo) and Nani (Valencia - end of loan and then Sporting Lisbon).
In Serie A, Lazio were currently in joint 6th place with Atalanta on 45 points and 6 points from 4th placed Milan (in last CL slot). Lazio had won 13, drawn 6 and lost 8. Lazio were going through a good spell of form, in the last 3 games they had won 2 (including Roma 3-0) and drawn 1 (Fiorentina 1-1 away). Lazio had a game in hand as the home game against Udinese, scheduled for February 24, had been postponed to April 17.
In the Europa League Lazio had come 2nd in their group after 3 wins (Apollon Limassol 2-1 at home, Olympique Marseille home and away, 2-1 and 3-1) and lost 3 (Apollon Limassol 0-2 away and Eintracht Frankfurt home and away, 1-2 and 1-4). This meant a round of 32 clash with serial winners Sevilla which Lazio lost 0-3 on aggregate.
In Coppa Italia, Lazio beat Novara 4-1 at home and then Inter on penalties away (1-1 a.e.t). In the first leg of the semi-final the Biancocelesti had drawn 0-0 at home against Milan, the return leg would be on April 24.
Inter had finished 4th the previous season, pipping Lazio at the post for Champions League in the last game. The manager was Luciano Spalletti and top scorer was Mauro Icardi with 29 league goals.
This season the manager was still Spalletti. The transfer market had brought defenders Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus), Stefan de Vrij (Lazio), Šime Vrsaljko (Atlético Madrid - on loan), midfielders Joāo Mario (West-Ham - back from loan), Radja Nainggolan (Roma) plus forwards Keita Baldé (Monaco - on loan), Lautaro Martinez (Racing Club de Avellaneda) and Matteo Politano (Sassuolo).
Leaving the Nerazzurri were defender Joāo Cancelo (Valencia - end of loan, then Juventus), Jeison Murillo (Valencia), Yūto Nagatomo (Galatasaray), Davide Santon (Roma), forwards Éder (Jiangsu Suning) and Yann Karamoh (Bordeaux - on loan).
In Serie A, Inter were currently 3rd on 53 points but 17 points behind Juventus. The Nerazzurri had won 16 (including Lazio 3-0 and both derbies), drawn 5 and lost 7. A week earlier they had defeated city rivals Milan 3-2.
In Champions League Inter had been eliminated in the first group stage after 2 wins (Tottenham 2-1 at home and PSV 2-1 away), 2 draws (PSV and Barcelona 1-1 at home) and 2 defeats (Barcelona 0-2 and Tottenham 0-1 away). Inter had therefore slipped down to the Europa League where they had beaten Rapid Vienna 5-0 but then lost to Eintracht Frankfurt 0-1 on aggregate in the last 16.
In Coppa Italia they had defeated Benevento 6-2 at home but then been eliminated by Lazio on penalties at home after a 1-1 draw (and a generous 125th minute penalty for Inter).
The match: Sunday, March 31, 2019, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan
A Sunday 8.30 p.m kick-off saw just over 55,000 present in the San Siro area of Milan.
Lazio had more or less the whole squad available.
Inter had striker Mauro Icardi in the stands due to internal disputes and had Lautaro Martinez out injured. In defence they were without former Lazio, Stefan de Vrij.
Inter started with the enthusiasm of a side coming from a local derby triumph. In the 7th minute Matías Vecino shaved the post with a shot deflected by a defender and in the 9th minute Milan Skriniar missed an easy opportunity, firing a rebound over the bar after Thomas Strakosha had parried from a corner.
Lazio weathered the storm, calmed things down and scored. In the 13th minute Luís Alberto from the left curled a perfect cross to the far post where the Serb giant Sergej Milinkovic-Savic rose above Marcelo Brozović and headed in. Inter 0 Lazio 1.
Inter attempted a reaction but it was tame. They were without a real striker, only former Lazio Balde Keita up front and many of their players, especially Danilo D'Ambrosio and Matteo Politano on the right were having an off day. The only lively player was Ivan Perišić.
Lazio were forced into a change in the 27th minute when Joaquín Correa went off injured and was replaced by Ecuadorian Felipe Caicedo, known as "Il Panterone".
Inter were finally dangerous in the 43rd minute when Keita's goal effort from inside the area on the left was saved by Strakosha on the near post.
Lazio were then far more dangerous just before halftime. Samir Handanovic had to show brilliant reflexes to save from a close-range Bastos header, again from a floating Luís Alberto freekick. Then Luís Alberto went for a curling shot himself from the edge of the area but Handanovic flew to his left and palmed it away. At the break Inter 0 Lazio 1.
In the first part of the second half Lazio controlled and could have scored again in the 55th minute when Caicedo went through the Inter defence and in front of Handanovič tried to chip him but the Slovenian was again excellent and saved, then blocking the ball before Immobile could hit the rebound.
Politano revived and had a powerful, low curling shot go not too far off the far post. Lazio responded with a back-heeled assist to Immobile but his low left foot was blocked by Handanovic.
In the 67th minute Lazio put on fresh legs with Marco Parolo but strangely took off their best player so far, Luís Alberto. A subdued Ciro Immobile could have been a more suitable candidate to go off.
Inter gradually gained ground and Lazio pulled back. Luciano Spalletti tried changing things with Radja Nainggolan for Borja Valero in the 74th minute, Antonio Candreva for D'Ambrosio in the 79th and Joāo Mario for Keita in the 84th.
Nainggolan immediately went into Roman derby mode and surged forward but his low effort was saved by Strakosha taking a step to his left and diving low.
Matías Vecino practically went up to play as centre-forward. To be fair Inter ended forcing Lazio into their own area but only produced a few corners, crosses and potential dangers. Lazio threw on defender Riza Durmisi for Senad Lulic in the 87th minute and resisted to bring home a deserved win. Final score Inter 0 Lazio 1.
A huge satisfaction for Lazio who avenged, if only partially, the previous season's heart-breaking defeat by the Nerazzurri in the last game of the season, which had lost them a Champions League place.
Lazio had won with merit today. They should have closed the game before and then were inevitably made to sweat for the win towards the end.
Lazio were now joint 5th with Atalanta on 48 points but with a game in hand. The Biancocelesti were now only three points behind 4th placed Milan who had lost again (Sampdoria 0-1 away). Lazio had also overtaken Roma who had lost 1-4 at home to Napoli.
Inter were still 3rd but had to start looking over their shoulders as Lazio and Atalanta were closing the gap.
Who played for Inter
Handanovič, D'Ambrosio (79' Candreva), Škriniar, Miranda, Asamoah, Vecino, Brozović, Politano, Borja Valero (74' Nainggolan), Perišić, Keita (84' Joāo Mario)
Substitutes: Padelli, Berni, Ranocchia, Dalbert, Cedric Soares, Colidio, Gagliardini
Manager: Spalletti
Who played for Lazio
Strakosha, Luiz Felipe, Acerbi, Bastos, Romulo, Milinkovic-Savic, Leiva, Luís Alberto (67' Parolo), Lulic (87' Durmisi), Correa (27' Caicedo), Immobile
Manager: Inzaghi
Referee: Mazzoleni
Goal: 13' Milinkovic-Savic
What happened next
A week later Lazio lost 0-1 in Ferrara to SPAL. They eventually finished 8th and qualified for the Europa League. In the next 9 games after SPAL the Biancocelesti won 3 (including Udinese 2-0), drew 2 and lost 4. Too inconsistent to challenge for the Champions League places, a 1-2 home defeat to already relegated Chievo on April 20 blew away any last possibilities. Some of the new signings had been very disappointing too such as Durmisi but especially Berisha. Top scorer was Ciro Immobile with 19 goals (15 in A).
In the Coppa Italia things went better. Lazio beat Milan 1-0 away with a Correa goal to qualify for the final. On May 15 on a cold, wet night the Biancocelesti then triumphed 2-0 against Atalanta with late goals by Milinkovic-Savic and Correa to lift their 7th Italian Cup.
So ultimately it was a positive season.
Inter finished 4th and qualified for the Champions League. In the following 9 games the Nerazzurri won 4, drew 4 and lost 1. Top scorer was Icardi with 17 goals (11 in A).
Serie A was won by Juventus for their 35th title and 8th in a row. The unlucky three going down were Chievo, Empoli and Frosinone (Chievo are now in Serie D).
Let’s talk about Samir Handanovič
Samir Handanovič was born in Lubiana, Slovenia, on July 14, 1984.
His first club as a youngster was Slovan Lubiana.
In July 2003 he joined Domžale in the Slovenian top flight but in August left for Zagorje in the second flight where he played 11 league games. In November 2003 however, he returned to Domžale until the end of the season, making 7 league appearances.
In 2004 he arrived in Italy and signed for Udinese in Serie A. The manager was Luciano Spalletti and he played 3 league games and 2 in Coppa Italia. The main keeper was Morgan De Sanctis and the Friulani finished 4th (Champions League). His teammates included Lazio connections; Giampiero Pinzi (1998-2000), Néstor Sensini (1999-2000), Emilson Cribari (2005-10), Manuel Belleri (2005-07) and Stefano Mauri (2006-16). His debut was eventful as he was sent off in a Coppa Italia game against Lecce, giving away a penalty which was then saved by outfield player David Di Michele (the Bianconeri had used up all their substitutions).
In 2005-06 he spent a few months on loan with Treviso in Serie A. He played 3 league games under Ezio Rossi but left in January. The Veneti were eventually relegated.
In January he joined Lazio. The manager was Delio Rossi and Handanovič was 3rd keeper behind Angelo Peruzzi and Marco Ballotta. The Biancocelesti had a good season finishing 6th but were then docked 30 points for the Calciopoli scandal and ended up 16th. Handanovic played 1 league game (last fixture against Parma).
In 2006-07 he went on loan to Rimini in Serie B and finally started playing regularly. The manager was Leonardo Arcori and the Biancorossi finished 5th. Handanovič played 39 league games and 2 in Coppa Italia.
In 2007 he returned to Udinese where he stayed for five seasons. He played 207 games (179 in A) and became one of the best keepers in Serie A. The Friulani finished 7th (UEFA), 7th (and reached UEFA quarterfinals), 15th, 4th (Champions League) and 3rd (Champions League). His managers were Pasquale Marino for the first three seasons and then Francesco Guidolin. His teammates included Lazio connections; Bernardo Corradi (2002-04), Antonio Candreva (2012-16), Dušan Basta (2014-19) and Giampiero Pinzi again.
Handanovič's good performance earned him a call from Inter who he signed for in 2012. He stayed eleven seasons, playing 455 games (380 in A). He won one Scudetto (2021), the Coppa Italia twice and the Italian Supercoppa twice. His managers included; Andrea Stramaccioni, Walter Mazzarri, Roberto Mancini, Stefano Pioli, Luciano Spalletti, Antonio Conte (Scudetto winning season) and finally Simone Inzaghi (other 4 trophies plus Champions League final defeat to Manchester City). The Nerazzurri finished 9th, 5th (EL), 8th, 4th (EL), 7th, 4th (CL), 4th (CL), 2nd (CL), 1st, 2nd (CL) and 3rd (CL). He played alongside several former Lazio players including; Juan Pablo Carrizo, Dejan Stankovic, Tommaso Rocchi, Gaby Mudingayi, Hernanes, Tommaso Berni, Antonio Candreva, Stefan de Vrij, Keita Baldé, Aleksandar Kolarov, Francesco Acerbi plus future Lazio, Matías Vecino.
Handanovič was the undisputed first choice keeper for ten seasons and captain for the last five. He is the foreign player with the second highest number of appearances for Inter (behind Javier Zanetti) and the goalkeeper with the most games played.
After the 2022-23 season, in which he had played less due to the signing of André Onana, he retired at the age of almost 39.
At international level he won 81 caps for Slovenia, between 2004 and 2018. He took part in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
He is still at Inter and is coaching the Under 17s.
Handanovič was a keeper and was nicknamed "Batman". At 1.93 and 89 kilos he was strong but also agile. He was extremely reliable, predictably good on high balls but also on low crosses. He was an exceptional penalty stopper, he holds the Serie A record of 25 spot kick saves (including 6 in the 2010-11 season). He started his career as a traditional keeper but over the years evolved and improved with his feet to actively participate in the game construction as is fashionable today.
At Lazio he only stayed six months on loan. He was only 22 and had two experienced keepers ahead of him so was not given much of a chance. He later proved to be a superb goalkeeper.
Lazio Career
Season | Serie A appearances |
2005-06 | 1 |
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