Lazio beat Livorno 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday afternoon in Serie A.
Miroslav Klose showed fine form and bagged two goals for the Biancocelesti in the first half, before a goalless second half saw the Amaranto having no answer to the German’s brace.
The match offered a good possibility for Lazio, and not least coach Vladimir Petkovic,to pick up their first win in seven games to get their season a little back on track. Today’s opponents from Livorno found themselves in a relegation spot before the match and hadn’t been impressive on the road, having lost their last five away games.
The home team were dominant from the beginning and after five minutes a good chance fell to Lucas Biglia following a corner, but the Argentine hit the side of the net from a sharp angle. Just three minutes later a good cross was sent in by Senad Lulic, but Antonio Candreva couldn’t quite reach the ball.
The Biancocelesti had striker Klose back from injury and after 17 minutes the 35-year-old German came very close to scoring. Candreva sent away a weak shot that randomly turned into a through ball for Klose, but the striker’s effort hit the post.
Just two minutes later, however, the breakthrough came for Klose and Lazio. Hernanes played a great though ball to the striker and, after seeing his first effort saved, the ball fell to his feet again and the German could put Petkovic’s team in front.
Klose would prove an important player for Lazio this Sunday afternoon because after 26 minutes he gave his team a two goal lead. Once again, Hernanes was involved as he tried a shot from distance, his effort being blocked by a Livorno defender and subsequently falling to Klose who didn’t fail from close range.
Livorno had a hard time finding chances and their first one would come after 32 minutes when top scorer Paulinho received a good through ball, but the striker couldn’t convert.
Leandro Greco and Nahuel Valentini came on for the second half for Livorno as coach Davide Nicola were keen to change the situation. To his disappointment, he could see his team continue to have problems offensively and, in the first part of the second half, Lazio were closer to 3-0 than Livorno were to 2-1.
Nicola therefore saw it necessary to use his third and last substitution after just 64 minutes when he put on Innocent Emeghara for Luca Siligardi. The Swiss striker couldn’t change his team’s fortunes and instead Lazio defender Giuseppe Biava came close to scoring after 75 minutes following a corner.
Candreva had been disappointing for the home team, but eight minutes before time he came close to scoring, Inter-loanee Francesco Bardi however doing well to block the shot.
Livorno succeeded in pressing for a consolation goal towards the end of the match, but it finished in a 2-0 win for Lazio.
Petkovic will surely be happy about the victory, but must also be a little worried that his team is so reliant on Klose. The result means that Lazio moves closer to the top six, while Livorno remain in the relegation positions.
