Tough win
An extremely complicated game sees Lazio win with goals from Correa, Immobile and Milinkovic-Savic
Also on this day: November 10, 1968: Lazio Padova 4-0. The Biancocelesti comfortably beat Padova with goals from Ghio, Rinero and Fortunato. Player of the day: Guido Onor
The season so far
The 2018-19 season had been a disappointing one with one exception. Lazio, who had Champions League qualification hopes, started badly with two losses against Napoli and Juventus but by the end of the first half of the season were fourth even if a long way off the top three. They then lost positions but returned fourth by the 29th game after beating Inter in Milan. But in the next four matches they lost three (including at home to already relegated Chievo) and drew one. The last bus was the game against Atalanta but they lost that one too so no top tier European competitions for the 2019-20 season. In the Europa League they came second in their group behind Eintracht Frankfurt and were then knocked out by Sevilla.
In Coppa Italia, however, it was a different story. After beating Novara 4-1 in January, they beat Inter in the penalty shoot-out in the quarterfinals and Milan in the semis. In the final, two goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Joaquin Correa in the last ten minutes enabled them to beat Atalanta, win their seventh Coppa Italia, and qualify for the Europa League.
In the 2019-20 season there were high hopes. The previous year had seen a not so good season from Luis Alberto, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ciro Immobile due to a number of injuries and it was hoped that if the three managed to play better, an improvement would be guaranteed.
Simone Inzaghi had been confirmed as manager and the new arrivals were Manuel Lazzari (Spal), Denis Vavro (Copenhagen), Jony (Malaga) and young Bobby Adekanye on a free transfer. Leaving Lazio were Wallace (loan to Braga), Milan Badelj (loan to Fiorentina), Romulo (end of loan so back to Genoa), Bruno Jordão and Pedro Neto (Woverhampton) and Alessandro Murgia (Spal). Dušan Basta had retired.
A slow start for Lazio. Until October Lazio had shown potential but also thrown away points here and there. They were not playing well either. Immobile was scoring a lot as usual but it was not working. Even the Europa League campaign had started badly.
At the end of the first half in the match at home against Atalanta, Lazio were losing 3-0. The season was practically a write off, and it was only October. But then something triggered in the players’ head. Lazio managed to draw the game and start a winning streak. They had beaten Fiorentina away, Torino and Milan at San Siro for the first time since 1989. They were fifth in the company of Cagliari but were working their way up.
The match: Sunday, November 10, 2019, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
After three minutes Luis Alberto had a chance. He dribbled past a number of players and on the limit of the penalty area tried a shot that was parried by Gabriel. One minute later Babacar from the left entered the Lazio box, went towards the centre and shot, Thomas Strakosha parried.
A great game with the ball moving backwards and forwards. The Biancocelesti had further opportunities with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Luis Alberto and Ciro Immobile but Lecce too could have scored with Babacar and Marco Mancosu, who in the 16th minute on an assist from Gianluca Lapadula, was unmarked in the box but his shot went over the crossbar. After a header from Senad Lulic a little too high in the 25th minute, on the half hour Lazio scored. Luís Alberto passed the ball to Joaquin Correa just inside the box. The Argentinian was quick to shoot and managed to beat Gabriel for the Biancocelesti’s first goal of the day.
Manuel Lazzari could have made it two in the 36th minute after Lulic sent a cross in the box from the left, Gabriel anticipated Milinkovic-Savic, the ball got to the Lazio right back but his shot went over the crossbar.
Instead of 2-0, it became 1-1. Corner for Lecce in the 40th minute, Marco Calderoni crossed, Luca Rossettini anticipated Luiz Felipe and headed the ball towards the far post, in came Lapadula who equalised.
Lecce were playing well and Lazio were in a spot of bother but should have scored in the 43rd minute. Lazzari sent a long ball into the Lecce penalty area from the right, Lulic managed to head it towards Correa, the ball was cleared but it became a splendid assist for Luis Alberto who instead whacked it over the crossbar.
In the 51st minute there was a cross from the left, splendid header by Babacar, Strakosha managed to save with the help of the crossbar.
In the 56th minute Francesco Acerbi crossed from the left, Milinkovic-Savic tried a header which shaved the post. The duo tried again six minutes later. This time Acerbi sent a lower cross into the box, the Sergeant anticipated the Lecce defenders and volleyed the ball in the net.
Lecce surged forward for the equaliser and in the 65th minute were very generously awarded a penalty. Corner for Lecce, cross into the box, Babacar tried to control the ball but it rolled towards Milinkovic-Savic who anticipated Mancosu. The Lecce player collapsed to the ground and the ref indicated a penalty. Var confirmed despite the complete lack of any touch whatsoever. Babacar took the spotkick, Strakosha parried, but in came Lapadula who managed to tap the ball in. 2-2? No, the Giallorosso forward had entered the box before the penalty was taken and the goal was disallowed.
The Apulians lost a bit of momentum and the Biancocelesti took advantage. In the 74th minute on a counter attack Luis Alberto tried a shot which shaved the post and two minutes later penalty for Lazio. Milinkovic-Savic and Calderoni were fighting for the ball, the Lecce player handballed it and this time it was the Biancocelesti’s turn. Immobile made no mistake, Lazio 3 Lecce 1.
In the 80th minute Immobile on the counter attack on the limit of the area, a defender intervened but it became a pass for Correa who entered the box and beat Gabriel for his brace.
But Lecce were not dead and in the 85th minute Jacopo Petriccione crossed from the right, Andrea La Mantia anticipated Bastos and headed the ball past Strakosha. The Albanian goalkeeper was called to a great save in the 89th minute. After a big Pagnotis Tachtsidis whack Acerbi anticipated Lapadula’s tap in. La Mantia also hit the woodwork in the 95th minute with a header off a Calderoni cross.
Lazio managed to get the three points, but it was a very, very tough match.
Who played for Lazio
Strakosha, Patric (72’ Bastos), Luiz Felipe, Acerbi, Lazzari, Milinkovic-Savic, Leiva (51’ Cataldi), Luis Alberto, Lulic, Correa (86’ Berisha), Immobile
Manager: Inzaghi
Who played for Lecce
Gabriel, Meccariello (86' Rispoli), Rossettini, Lucioni, Calderoni, Petriccione, Tachtsidis, Majer (70' Shakhov), Mancosu, Lapadula, Babacar (72' La Mantia)
Substitutes: Vigorito, Bleve, Riccardi, Vera, Benzar, Gallo, Imbula, Dubickas, Lo Faso
Manager: Liverani
Referee: Manganiello
Goals: 30’ Correa, 40’ Lapadula, 62’ Milinkovic-Savic, 78’ Immobile (pen), 80’ Correa, 85’ La Mantia
What happened next
The winning streak ended after 11 consecutive wins plus the Supercoppa triumph against Juventus. A record for the club.
Lazio were playing beautifully, scoring lots of goals with Immobile on fire. They had reached top spot in Serie A with a win against Bologna and success seemed behind the corner. But then Covid stopped the world and when the Biancocelesti came back to play, bad form, injuries and the problem in substituting key players, Lucas Leiva and Lulic, broke everybody’s dreams.
However, they managed to secure 4th place and Champions League for the 2020-2021 season.
Immobile scored 36 goals in Serie A, equalling the Italian record set by Gonzalo Higuain. This was enough for him to win the European Golden Boot.
Lazio 2019-2020
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 38 | 24 | 6 | 8 | 79 |
Coppa Italia | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 4 |
Europa League | 6 | 2 | - | 4 | 6 |
Super Coppa | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
Total | 47 | 28 | 6 | 13 | 92 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Europa League | Super Coppa |
45 | 36 | 2 | 6 | 1 | |
44 | 37 | 2 | 4 | 1 | |
44 | 38 | 1 | 4 | 1 | |
43 | 37 | 1 | 4 | 1 | |
41 | 36 | - | 4 | 1 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Europa League | Super Coppa |
Ciro Immobile | 39 | 36 | 1 | 2 | - |
10 | 9 | - | 1 | - | |
9 | 9 | - | - | - | |
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic | 8 | 7 | - | 1 | - |
Luis Alberto | 7 | 6 | - | - | 1 |
Let's talk about Silvio Proto
Silvestro Proto, better known as Silvio, was born on May 23 1983 in Charleroi.
He started playing football at six years of age with Couillet going through all the youth teams until 1996 when he signed for Olympic Charleroi.
In 1999 he moved to La Louvière where he stayed six years debuting in the Belgian first tier in the 2001-02 season and winning a national cup in 2003. In total he made 133 appearances for them until 2005 when he moved to Anderlecht.
In his first season he was nominated as best goalkeeper of the year. After playing regularly, in his next two he only made 8 appearances so in August 2008 he was loaned out to Germinal Beerschot for a year. When he came back, he was chosen as first keeper and stayed as number one for the next seven years. In total he made 372 appearances for Anderlecht, winning the League 6 times (2005-06, 2006-07, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14), the Coupe de Belgique once (2007-08) and the Belgian Super Cup six times (2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014). In 2016 he signed for Ostende for a season and then played another year with Olympiacos.
In 2018 Lazio were looking for a keeper who could help Thomas Strakosha grow. A keeper like Proto was perfect and his dream had always been to play in Italy since his grandfather was Italian. He was perfectly happy to be number 12 and did his best to help Strakosha. He stayed two-and-a-half years making 9 appearances. His stay was however marred by injury and in January 2021 he decided to leave Rome and football altogether.
Proto has 13 caps for Belgium, playing often in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers.
With Lazio he won a Coppa Italia in 2018-19 and a Supercoppa in 2019.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Europa League |
2018-19 | 6 | 2 | 4 | |
2019-20 | 3 | 1 | 2 | |
Total | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
Sources
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