Fundamental last-minute win

Season 2021-22

Game 25, Serie A

Saturday, April 30, 2022

Stadio Alberto Picco, La Spezia

Spezia Lazio 3-4

A controversial last gasp goal from Acerbi gives Lazio fundamental win

The season started well with two wins but then became very inconsistent. Great wins (Inter, Roma), great collapses (Bologna, Verona, Napoli), completely incapable of finding some kind of happy medium. But new manager Maurizio Sarri did warn everybody that the first season was going to be a transitional one, and that it was preparatory for 2022-23.

The Biancocelesti were currently fifth, battling for Europa League qualification with Roma (same points), Fiorentina (two points behind) and Atalanta (four behind).

The match

The teams started slowly but in the 9th minute Spezia scored. Free kick on the left, Daniele Verde crossed into the box, Petko Hristov headed it to the far post, Thomas Strakosha stayed put and Kelvin Amian beat him to open the score. Lazio were forced to increase pressure and in the 23rd minute a typical Manuel Lazzari foray allowed Ciro Immobile to shoot, great save by Ivan Provedel. In the 30th minute Sergej Milinkovic-Savic tried a slalom in the Ligurian area and from a difficult angle attempted a shot which Provedel saved into corner. In the 33rd minute long ball from Francesco Acerbi to Milinkovic-Savic in the box. As he controlled the ball Dimitris Nikolau handballed it, so penalty for Lazio. Immobile made no mistake, 1-1.

So, the Biancocelesti now ready for the onslaught until the end of the first half? No. Because 60 seconds later Spezia scored their second. Patric and Danilo Cataldi were passing the ball to each other in the centre of the pitch, the Spaniard missed the ball and Kevin Agudelo had a freeway towards Strakosha and did not miss.

In the second half, predictably, Lazio pitched their tent in the Spezia half and in the 54th minute equalised. Mattia Zaccagni from the extreme left moved a little towards centre and once in the box tried a shot which hit the woodwork, bounced off Provedel and went in. Unlucky for Spezia.

One would think that Lazio had learnt their lesson in the first half. They had not. Two minutes later, freekick for Spezia on the left. Verde crossed into the box and Hristov headed the ball in. The Ligurians back in front.

Luis Alberto came on for Toma Basic in the 59th minute and Lazio changed gears. Ten minutes later, after a long pass from the Spaniard to Milinkovic-Savic in the box, Arkadiusz Reca failed to stop the big Serb who deposited the ball in the back of the net.

Lazio put their foot down. In the 80th minute Zaccagni went off on the left and once inside the box tried a shot that hit the woodwork. Ten minutes later the Biancocelesti scored their winning goal. Luis Alberto dispossessed a Spezia defender and passed to Immobile. His shot was saved by Provedel, ball back to Luis Alberto who tried a shot that was blocked by a Spezia defender. It reached Acerbi who with a left footed lob put Lazio ahead.

Unfortunately for Spezia, although Acerbi was offside, there was then a misunderstanding between the referee and the VAR room and play was restarted before the final check was over.

Lazio were lucky today.

Who played for Spezia

Provedel, Amian, Hristov, Nikolaou, Reca, Maggiore (81' Bastoni), Kiwior; Verde (78' Antiste), Agudelo (81' Kovalenko), Gyasi, Manaj (89' Salcedo)

Substitutes: Zoet, Ferrer, Bourabia, Sher, Nguiamba, Zovko, Strelec, Bertola

Manager: Thiago Motta

Who played for Lazio

Strakosha, Lazzari, Patric (86’ Luiz Felipe), Acerbi, Marusic, Milinkovic-Savic, Cataldi (90+3’ Leiva), Basic (59’ Luis Alberto), Felipe Anderson (90+3’ Romero), Immobile, Zaccagni