2022-2023 Season
Game 2
August 20 2022
Turin, Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino
Torino Lazio 0-0
A goalless draw between Torino and Lazio, but the Biancocelesti did have their chances.
The teams
Maurizio Sarri decides for a more physical team and chooses Matias Vecino. The rest of the line-up is the same as when they were down to ten men in the previous game. For Torino, in comes Alessandro Buongiorno and former West Ham player Nikola Vlasic. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s brother, Vaina, is confirmed as goalkeeper.
Boring first half
With one single exception the first half is pretty boring. Torino tries to attack but is not dangerous, Lazio do try to gain control of the game but there are a lot of mistakes and not much quality. Torino are very physical and Lazio seem hesitant to go forward as they are too afraid of leaving dangerous gaps for the Piedmontese to attack.
With one exception, as previously mentioned. In the 24th minute, great pass from Mattia Zaccagni for Adam Marusic who, in front of Milinkovic-Savic, tries to put the ball under the goalkeeper's legs but only gets a corner.
That is it.
Better second half
Lazio are much better in the second half. Sarri at the end of the game did say that his plan was to wait for Torino to tire before trying anything more risky, and as he predicted Torino started losing possession.
In the 55th minute Ciro Immobile is finally able to get past Buongiorno but his shot is saved into corner by Vaina Milinkovic-Savic. Six minutes later on come Toma Basic and Marcos Antonio (first match for Lazio) to replace Danilo Cataldi and Vecino. Lazio’s ball possession and quality of play improves and in the 63rd minute Immobile again manages to beat Buongiorno but his shot at goal is miraculously deflected into a corner by Koffi Djidji. Two minutes later Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has a chance but this time it is Samuele Ricci who deflects the ball for another corner.
Nothing much happens for the rest of the game. Lazio do try to get the better of Torino’s three defenders but to no avail. Torino themselves tire and the lack of fuel does not allow them to do any more.
Last second controversy
A little controversy in the dying seconds of the match. With five seconds to go, the referee, Marco Piccinini, allows Torino a throw-in near the Lazio penalty box. Since it’s the end of the game, most of Torino are in Lazio’s area. The throw is cleared by the Lazio defence. At this point the ref should have ended the game, instead he waits to see what happens. Lazio start a 3 against 1 counter attack and only at that point does he blow his final whistle. The Biancocelesti are not happy and Immobile and Milinkovic-Savic are booked.
A word on the ref
Piccinini should have booked a few Torino players during the course of the match, especially Wilfried Singo and Ricardo Rodriguez, but was lenient with the players of the owner of the Gazzetta dello Sport’s team. He certainly was not lenient with the Lazio players and booked five of them.
Who played for Torino
V. Milinkovic-Savic, Djidji, Buongiorno, Rodriguez, Singo (72' Lazaro), Ricci, Linetty (72' Lukic), Aina, Vlasic, Radonjic (83' Seck), Sanabria (72' Pellegri).
Substitutes: Berisha, Gemello, Bayeye, Schuurs, Segre, Ilkhan, Adopo, Vojvoda, Garbett.
Manager: Juric
Who played for Lazio
Provedel, Lazzari, Patric, Romagnoli, Marusic, S. Milinkovic- Savic (83' Luis Alberto), Cataldi (62' Marcos Antonio), Vecino (62' Basic), Felipe Anderson (71' Pedro), Immobile, Zaccagni (83' Cancellieri).
Substitutes: Adamonis, Magro, Radu, Hysaj, Gila, Casale, Romero.
Manager: Sarri
Referee: Piccinini
Bookings: Cataldi, Marcos Antonio, Lazzari, Immobile, Milinkovic-Savic
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