After a shootout win over Inter, Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi felt his side more than deserved to go into the Coppa Italia semi-finals, and would have made sure of the win earlier, if not for Samir Handanovic.
After 120 minutes it finished 1-1, as Ciro Immobile broke the deadlock after 108 minutes, then Mauro Icardi gave Inter hope with a final minute penalty. However, in the resulting shootout, Radja Nainggolan missed the decisive spot kick, leaving Lucas Leiva the hero as he stroked home the winner.
“I asked the guys to show personality in this match,” Inzaghi told the press, “and they did it.
“If it wasn’t for Handanovic then we would have won before the shootout.
“Their penalty in the 120th minute made sure we went to a shootout, but we deserved to go through.”
The win marks the third consecutive season Lazio have made it to the Coppa Italia semi-finals, and the first time they have done so in the history of the competition.
“It is important,” Inzaghi went on. “I have managed three [semi-finals] with the first team, and three with the Primavera, where I won it twice and lost another final against Inter.
“It’s an excellent objective, and now we have AC Milan. I congratulated all the players, those who played and those that didn’t.
“We should have won it earlier, but we came up against a Handanovic who saved everything.
“I don’t want to comment on their penalty. I’ve never seen a 122nd minute spot kick, or a red card removed.”
