Biancocelesti eliminated in the round of 16: the lead through Felipe Anderson, they suffer the comeback signed by Karlsson and Pavlidis
16 marzo – Alkmaar (Olanda)
Lazio greets Europe. In Alkmaar it ends 2-1 for Az as in the first leg at the Olimpico. And, just like last week, it is Sarri’s team that takes the lead and plays better in the first twenty minutes. But then, in the long run, he has to surrender to the much higher pace of the opponents and their always logical game plots. Holland once again bitter for Sarri. In Rotterdam, in November, the Europa League race was over. A few kilometers further north, in Alkmaar, the Conference also concludes.
Q&A
—
We start at a slow trot, teams blocked as is normal, given that Az starts from an advantageous position and Lazio prefer to have a cautious attitude rather than immediately launching the boarding to overturn the negative result of the first leg. Az takes the field with the announced formation and, as at the Olimpico, lines up with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Mijnans close to the first striker Pavlidis and Odgaard and Karlsson wide on the flanks. Sarri changes the usual five players compared to the previous match. Three new players are in defence, with Marusic returning on the right after his league suspension, Gila in the center – partnered with Romagnoli – and Luca Pellegrini on the left making his absolute debut for the biancoceleste. In midfield, it’s time for Luis Alberto to rest, instead of him – with Milinkovic and Vecino – there’s Basic. In attack, the novelty is Cancellieri who completes the trident formed by Felipe Anderson and Zaccagni. The first ring came from the hosts in the 17th minute with a header by Pavlidis who failed to hit the goal from an excellent position. Four minutes later, however, Lazio took the lead. Zaccagni goes away on the left, enters the area and serves a golden ball to Felipe Anderson who passes Ryan with a right footed shot. However, Lazio’s advantage lasted only seven minutes. In the 28th minute Karlsson (who was already decisive in the first leg with his assists for both goals for the Dutch team) invents a great goal with a shot from distance that surprises Provedel, also because the ball takes an anomalous turn that puts him out the Lazio goalkeeper. Sarri’s team accuses the blow and begins to lose distance. And in the last ten minutes of the first fraction he risks going under three times. Provedel redeems himself first on Mijnans and then (above all) on Pavlidis, denying the home team a double. Who also try with Reijners, whose ends just out.
The Dutch wave
—
Lazio, which had already begun to suffer in the final minutes of the first half, was literally overwhelmed by the hosts in the second half. The greater freshness of the Dutch (average age much lower than that of the Biancocelesti), but also the better tactical organization and, why not, perhaps even the greater desire to go through make the difference. Around the quarter of an hour Sarri tries to run for cover and makes a triple substitution. Inside Luis Alberto, Pedro and Casale for Milinkovic, Zaccagni and Romagnoli (later he will also put in Lazzari for Pellegrini and Romero for Anderson), but it’s late now, the match has already taken a turn in favor of the hosts. Who took the lead in the 16th minute with Pavlidis who strikes Provedel from the edge, after being served perfectly by the usual Karlsson. At that point Lazio disappears from the field. The posts saved Provedel on three occasions: the first on Reijners when it was still 1-1. Then, at 2-1, first on Odgaard, then again on Reijners. The Dutch could triple on at least three more occasions, with the wild Odgaard and Karlsson. Az slowed down its frenzied pace only in the final ten minutes. Lazio took the opportunity to make a couple of attempts, the first with Pedro, the second with Marusic. Too little and too late to reverse the result.
March 16, 2023 (change March 16, 2023 | 23:03)
© REPRODUCTION RESERVED
