Immobile sends Lazio soaring past AC Milan

Immobile sends Lazio soaring past AC Milan

Date: 10th September 2017 at 5:56pm
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AC Milan were given a huge reality check by Lazio, who swept the Rossoneri aside 4-1 with Ciro Immobile the man of the moment as he bagged a hat-trick.

Three goals in a ten minute period for Immobile effectively killed the game and gave Lazio the three points. The striker also set up Luis Alberto for Lazio’s fourth, before Riccardo Montolivo scored a consolation. Marco Parolo was sent off in the dying minutes.

That result leaves Milan on six points, with Lazio moving one point ahead of the opponents and third in the Serie A standings.

The kick off was delayed by one hour due to heavy rain in the Italian capital, but once it did get underway, Milan started on the front foot, pinning Lazio into their own half, but only had a tame Frank Kessie shot to show for it.

As the first half wore on, Lazio slowly crept into the game and but for Gianluigi Donnarumma would have been in front, but the youngster’s reactions were on show as the Biancocelesti almost scored direct from a corner.

Before that, Immobile had appeals for a penalty waved away, but Lazio were awarded a spot kick 38 minutes in as Luis Alberto was brought down by Kessie on the let side of the box.

Immobile then stepped up and smashed past Donnarumma who almost got a hand to it.

Then just four minutes later Immobile doubled the lead for Lazio. A wonderful cross from Senad Lulic was volleyed home at the back post.

Immediately after the break, Immobile had his hat-trick. A lovely quick passing move from Lazio saw Lulic and Marco Parolo get the ball to Immobile six yards out and he scored with erase.

Not content with scoring, Immobile set up Luis Alberto with a brilliant run and cross, with the Spaniard side-footing past Donnarumma from the edge of the area.

In an action packed second period, Milan did pull one back just before the hour, as a Hakan Calanhoglu freekick was initially blocked, but the rebound found Montolivo unmarked and he poked home from close range.

That goal seemed to give Milan a second wind, as the pressed Lazio hard and Nikola Kalinic was denied by Strakosha, then the Lazio goalkeeper had to be alert once more from a long range Calanhoglu strike.

On two occasions Immobile almost had his fourth, but first shot wide, then another chance was easily saved by Donnarumma.

Jordan Lukaku was close to a fifth for Lazio, but Davide Calabria just got in ahead of the Belgian. Then in the last minute of the game, Parolo was given his marching orders after collecting his second yellow card for a challenge on Giacomo Bonaventura.

MATCH FACTS

  • Lazio have won against AC Milan in Serie A after going winless in the previous four games(D2 L3).
  • Lazio scored four goals against AC Milan in Serie A for the first time since October 1999 (4-4 at Olimpico).
  • Lazio are unbeaten in the first three Serie A games for the first time since 2012/13.
  • AC Milan have won only one of their the last eight away Serie A matches (D4 L3).
  • Only Verona-Napoli (16) and Fiorentina-Verona (15) have seen more shots on target than this match (13) so far in Serie A this season.
  • Immobile has had a hand in five of the six Lazio’s goals in Serie A this season (four goals, one assist).
  • Ciro Immobile has scored nine of the 11 penalties he has taken in Serie A – he has scored all the seven taken with Lazio.
  • Immobile scored his second Serie A hat-trick, the first since March 2014 (with Torino against Livorno).
  • Ciro Immobile has been directly involved in four goals in a single league match for the first time in his Serie A career.
  • Riccardo Montolivo found the net after 56 Serie A matches (April 2014 vs Catania).

 

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