STADIO LUIGI FERRARIS (Genoa) – Lazio beat Sampdoria 2-1 at the Stadio Ferraris in Serie A, to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
Lazio were dominant from the off, with Felipe Caicedo netting twice within the opening 20 minutes. Gaston Ramirez was sent off just before half time, but Fabio Quagliarella scored early in the second half to light up an entertaining encounter, but it wasn’t enough to see the hosts get a point.
The Bianocelesti climb to 55 points, with their second win in three Serie A games, and stay in the fight for a Champions League spot, with Roma in fourth just three points away. Sampdoria stay on 48 points, virtually out of the fight for European football.
The visitors were the better side from the early stages of the game, with Caicedo making the most of an Omar Colley mistake to slot it past Emil Audero and break the deadlock after only three minutes, scoring in his third consecutive Serie A game.
On 15 minutes Marco Giampaolo decided to take off Colley – psychologically unstable after the error – to bring on Lorenzo Tonelli, but things didn’t improve at the back for the hosts. Caicedo found the net once again, heading home a perfect Romulo cross, doubling Lazio’s lead, and making it eight goals in 15 Serie A starts for him this season.
The Biancocelesti could have scored more in the first half, with Caicedo wasting another couple of opportunities, and Joaquin Correa giving his former club a hell of a tough time. Sampdoria went close to scoring with a Ramirez free kick, well saved by Thomas Strakosha.
Things got a lot worse for Sampdoria just before the half time whistle, as Ramirez was booked for a second time and saw red, leaving his team down to ten men.
The second half started as the first, as Romulo could have made it three for Lazio, hitting the post with a powerful shot that had Audero beaten.
Giampaolo deployed his men with a 4-4-1, and the Blucerchiati attempted to control more of the ball. It worked, as a defensive blackout for Lazio led to Quagliarella’s goal that put Samp back in the game with over half an hour left.
The captain’s goal changed the momentum of the game, and Nicola Murru almost equalised with a lovely volley that came off the post.
The game saw a number of chances either side, with Ciro Immobile hitting the bar with a ferocious freekick and Gregoire Defrel unable to equalise with an open goal, producing one of the misses of the season.
Sampdoria pushed until the very end, but Lazio managed to hold on and take home three massive points.
THE IDEAL MIX
When Lazio are like today, they are one of the best sides in the league. Few have the same solidity, the same plan so well executed. Inzaghi’s work is clear, and when Lazio are able to be so solid at the back, and so quick and technical on the counter, they can beat anybody. Getting points at the Ferraris against Sampdoria hasn’t been easy for anyone this season, but the Biancocelesti conceded hardly anything at the back, defending perfectly by leaving no spaces for Samp to attack centrally, and then were excellent in going on the break. Defence and attack, executed magnificently.
QUAGLIARELLA VS IMMOBILE
A duel within the match should have been that between Quagliarella and Ciro Immobile, both fighting for a starting role in Italy’s attack. It “should have” been, as the Lazio man was initially benched, making life easier for Quagliarella to show his worth and boost his Azzurri chances yet again. The Blucerchiati captain confirmed his status as Capocannoniere, scoring his 23rd of the campaign and responding to Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal against Inter. Immobile confirmed his status of struggling striker, as he once again could not score and hit the woodwork for a record nine times this season.
