Lazio too strong for Parma

Season 2020-21

Game 17, Serie A

Sunday, January 10, 2021

Stadio Ennio Tardini, Parma

Parma Lazio 0-2

Lazio beat Parma but it was not as easy as it seemed.

Lazio was having an inconsistent season and were currently 8th, five points away from a Champions League qualification. Parma was last and practically already in Serie B. A must win game.

The match

This should have been an easy match for Lazio. Parma had just changed manager with Roberto D’Aversa taking the place of Fabio Liverani, but one could see right from the beginning of the season that there would a need for more than a miracle for Parma to stay in Serie A.

After a slow beginning, it was Parma who had the first chance of the game. In the 7th minute Simon Sohm found himself in the perfect position after a deflection but his shot reached Sicily.

In the 14th minute Felipe Caicedo’s shot was just wide and ten minutes later, Pepe Reina made probably one of the biggest saves of his career. Jasmin Kurtic crossed the ball into the Lazio penalty box, Andrea Cornelius beat Adam Marusic and headed the ball towards the goal. It looked like it was going in but Reina managed jump back and get a hand to it.

Did this scare wake Lazio up? Yes. Lazio increased pressure and had quite a number of chances. In the 30th minute Caicedo was ready to score but Luigi Sepe miraculously saved. Eight minutes later Ciro Immobile’s shot was just over the cross bar. Caicedo again had the chance for 1-0 in the 43rd minute but his header was wide.

In the second half Lazio began slowly but now the pace was much faster and Parma were in difficulty. In the 48th minute Immobile dribbled the goalkeeper but in doing so the ball went too far and he could not shoot. Five minutes later Francesco Acerbi had an open goal chance but kicked it wide.

The Biancocelesti finally managed to score a minute later. On the counter attack, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic passed the ball to Manuel Lazzari on the right. His low cross was met at the centre of the penalty box by Luis Alberto who had no problem in making it 1-0 for Lazio.

It should have been two for Lazio five minutes later but Luis Alberto all alone in front of the goalkeeper put it wide. No problem, the 2-0 was coming and it was spectacular. Just as if the team were playing with their play station, in the 67th minute Milinkovic-Savic asked Immobile for a one-two, the ball came back to the Serb into the penalty box, the Sergeant lobbed it over the goalkeeper and Caicedo tapped it in.

Nothing more happened in the game and Lazio brought home three points. Next match: the derby!!!!

Who played for Parma

Sepe, Busi, Alves, Osorio (46' Ricci), Valenti (34' Balogh), Sohm (75' Mihaila), Brugman (63' Inglese), Hernani; Kurtic, Cornelius, Gervinho

Substitutes: Colombi, Rinaldi, Pezzella, Dezi, Cyprien, Brunetta, Camara, Sprocati

Manager: De Zerbi

Who played for Lazio

Reina, Luiz Felipe, Acerbi, Radu, Lazzari (84’ Patric), Milinkovic-Savic, Leiva (70’ Cataldi), Luis Alberto (64’ Akpa Akpro), Marusic (84’ D. Anderson), Immobile, Caicedo (70’ Andreas Pereira)