Game 12, Serie A
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Stadio San Filippo, Messina,
Messina Lazio 1-4
A convincing win for Lazio. An inspired Mauri helps Lazio cruise to a comfortable victory
The season for Lazio started with a 3 point penalisation (reduced from an original 11) due to the previous year's calciopoli scandal in which they had been docked 30 points thus losing their UEFA Cup place.
Lazio had lost the first two games (Milan and Palermo) and were having an up and down start with disappointing draws (Empoli, Reggina, Cagliari), a few victories (Atalanta, Chievo, Udinese, Torino) and more bruising defeats (Catania, Sampdoria).
The match
A one-sided affair dominated by Lazio whose only fault was leaving it late to finally put the contest to bed.
Lazio took the lead after 11 minutes with a Stefano Mauri free kick which took a deflection off the wall. Mauri was a key figure throughout and helped by Gaby Mudingayi and Massimo Mutarelli controlled the tempo. Lazio had several more chances with Emílson Cribari, Mutarelli, Mudingayi and Mauri all going close. For Messina an isolated effort by centre-forward Christian Riganò went over the bar.
In the second half Messina unexpectedly drew level, courtesy of a non -existent penalty. Riganò used an old trick and tripped himself up kicking his left foot with his right one but the referee was deceived by Lazio defender Guglielmo Stendardo's hand brushing ever so slightly on Rigano's back. Anyway, as it was, Messina equalised in the 56th minute.
Lazio's response to this injustice was furious and only three minutes later they were ahead again through a neat Goran Pandev goal. A Mauri dummy and skilful dribbling by the North Macedonian put him in a position to score with a dinky shot over the keeper.
Lazio then continued to dictate the proceedings and finally closed out the game with two late goals by Mauri (man of the match) and Nigerian forward Stephen Makinwa. In the 82nd minute, after a Luciano Zauri-Mauri one-two, the inspired Lazio midfielder's shot was parried by the keeper but fell again to Mauri who, with his second attempt, hammered it home. At this point Lazio were rampant and two minutes later Pandev put Makinwa through and the Nigerian, after fending off the last defender, chipped the keeper to make it 4-1.
A comfortable win for the “Eagles” who now found themselves not far off the 4th place position and the promised land of Champions League.
Who played for Messina
Stirati, Zoro, Morello, Iuliano, Parisi, De Vezze, C.Coppola (64' Lavecchio), Cordova, S.Masiello (70' Iliev), Di Napoli (80' Floccari), Riganò
Substitutes: Caglioni, Rea, Sullo, Ogasawara
Manager: Giordano
Who played for Lazio
Peruzzi, Oddo, Stendardo, Cribari, Zauri, Mudingayi (86' Firmani), Ledesma, Mutarelli, Mauri, Pandev (84' Foggia), Makinwa (90' Tare)
Manager: D. Rossi
Referee: Ayroldi
Goals: 11' Mauri, 56' Rigano (pen), 59' Pandev, 82' Mauri, 84' Makinwa
Sources
Comments