Game 18, Serie A
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Stadio Tardini, Parma
Parma Lazio 1-3
After a disastrous start Lazio strike back to win in unlikely fashion
This season Lazio had lost the first 2 games (Milan and Palermo) but then had picked up slightly. They now had 7 wins (including a 3-0 derby triumph), 3 draws and 6 defeats. Not a lot of consistency but they had 24 points, just off the Champions League slots.
Parma had got off to an awful start this season. In the first 6 games they lost 5 and drew 1. At this stage they had won 2, drawn 6 and lost 9 for a grand total of 12 points. In their favour however they were unbeaten in the last 4 (all draws).
Today's game therefore had Lazio down as slight favourites but their inconsistent form and Parma's desperate need of points made it quite open, as Italians would say 'da tripla' (1 X 2).
The match
There was not a big crowd at the Tardini (about 13,000) but they were in for an eventful afternoon. The first 10 minutes were pretty cautious by both sides ('da studio' as they say in Italy) but the game was awoken with a bang in the 14th minute. Lazio's central defender Sebastiano Siviglia was judged to be last man when he pulled down Zlatoko Dedic outside the area and was shown a direct red. Things got worse for Lazio when shortly after Igor Budan headed in a Andrea Gasbarroni corner to make it 1-0. Losing away from home and down to 10 men things were not looking good for the Biancocelesti.
The game however remained balanced with both sides hitting the woodwork. First Cristian Ledesma hit the bar with a curling freekick and then Luca Cigarini did the same for Parma, again with a freekick but hitting the post.
Lazio were alive and fighting despite the difficulties. They were rewarded on the half hour mark when a Ledesma cross from a free kick was headed home by Guglielmo Stendardo, who the Parma defenders had inexplicably forgotten to mark. Lazio seemed galvanized and continued to push forward despite the numerical inferiority. It took them only another 4 minutes to go in front. Tommaso Rocchi made a run down the right hand side of the area drawing several defenders to him and then pulled a clever ball back which Goran Pandev pounced on to make it 2-1.
Parma certainly had not been expecting this and were in total confusion. Lazio made it 3-1 in the last minute of the first half. A good team move was started by Massimo Mutarelli and then Stefano Mauri put in a perfect low cross for Rocchi to finish off. A surprising score at half time, seeing the way the game had started.
In the second half Stefano Pioli piled on the forwards throwing Vitali Kutuzov and Daniele Papponi on for an all-out attack. Lazio however defended well, helped by Delio Rossi's astute move of placing Valon Behrami at full-back. Parma's Cigarini had a shot go just wide but it was Lazio who came closer to scoring again at least another four times. A Pandev shot was saved by Luca Bucci, Rocchi hit the crossbar, replacement Stephan Makinwa went close and finally another replacement Christian Manfredini almost stole the show with a spectacular back heel effort.
A comfortable win in the end for Lazio despite the shock start. A boost for their Champions League aspirations while Parma seemed in serious trouble, low on confidence and now second from bottom in the league.
Who played for Parma
Bucci, Ferronetti, Paci, F.Couto (55' M.Rossi), P.Castellini, Dessena, Cigarini, Ciaramitaro (46' Papponi), Gasbarroni, Dedic (46' kutuzov), Budan
Substitutes: De Lucia, Coly, Bolano, Bocchetti
Manager: Pioli
Who played for Lazio
Ballotta, Siviglia, Stendardo, Cribari, Zauri, Behrami (65' Belleri), Ledesma, Mutarelli, Mauri, Pandev (78' Makinwa), Rocchi (70' Manfredini)
Manager: Rossi
Referee: Saccani
Goals: 20' Budan, 30' Stendardo, 34' Pandev, 45' Rocchi
Sources
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