Napoli 0-1 Lazio (agg 1-2): Late Lulic strike sends Aquile to Coppa Italia final

Date: 8th April 2015 at 10:42pm
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Lulic - Napoli v LazioLazio reached the Coppa Italia final after Wednesday’s 1-0 win in the second leg away to Napoli gave them a 2-1 aggregate victory.

A late strike from Senad Lulic gave Stefano Pioli’s men victory and set a final date with Serie A leaders Juventus.

With final third quality low in a goalless first-half that was certainly not an advert for Italian football, which saw Manolo Gabbiadini hit the post for the Neapolitans.

An early chance for Gonzalo Higuain livened the game up after the break, with end-to-end football creating a more entertaining game as Senad Lulic and Marek Hamsik came close to scoring the opener, and it was the Aquile midfielder who won the game with a six-yard-box finish 79 minutes into the second leg – before clearing Lorenzo Insigne’s shot off the line minutes later.

Neither side gave an inch in a compact opening but space began to open up to allow the hosts breathing space in the Lazio half; nine minutes in Marek Hamsik was excellently assisted but indecisiveness hampered his close-range finish.

Minutes later Belgian winger Dries Mertens broke the line just like the Partenopei captain, but he too could not make a convincing connection and the chance was gone – but Napoli were on top.

While the Aquile threatened when Antonio Candreva’s 20-yard pile-driver flashed past the post, they struggled to create chances from good positions and a timely reminder of the opener’s importance came when Azzurri forward Gabbiadini striking the woodwork with a well-struck free-kick on the half-hour.

Gabbiadini then ended a nicely worked Napoli move with a weak glancing header before Edson Braafheid failed to produce from an equally tidy Lazio attack to sum up a goalless first-half.

With the away goal advantage the hosts came out confidently in the second period as Christian Maggio dangerously struck a ball across the six-yard box that saw Dusan Basta heroically prevent Higuain from tapping home.

The Biancocelesti opened up after this 46th minute scare, Candreva stinging Mariano Andujar’s fingertips before Napoli set up Higuain twice – with the out-of-sorts striker unable to get a shot away on both occasions.

Nevertheless, Lazio were well in the game as Miroslav Klose and Felipe Anderson ran into dangerous positions before Higuain was played in by Braafheid’s terrible back-pass, only for Etrit Berisha to rush out and excellently tackle the ball out of play.

Substitutes Jonathan De Guzman and Senad Lulic were then both denied from good positions, the latter’s far-post header brilliantly saved by Andujar as the final 15 minutes encroached and Hamsik came incredibly close with a speculative 30-yard volley.

On the 79th minute, however, Anderson and Lulic combined like they had moments before for the Bosnian to ghost in and finish from four-yards out, stunning the packed San Paolo.

Stefano Piolo’s side remained a threat on the counter, the Brazilian winger Anderson in particular, although the returning Insigne then matched his opposite number with a stunning run – only for goalscorer Lulic to clear the Italian’s clipped shot off the line.

The away team played a risky game in injury time, but the Partenopei pressure subsided and the holders were dumped out by the in-form Aquile.

 

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