Cagliari-Lazio 0-3: penalty by Immobile, Luis Alberto and Felipe Anderson

After the penalty from Immobile, the Brazilian serves Luis Alberto to double and sign the three of a kind. The fifth place of Rome and Atalanta is only one point away

by our correspondent Stefano Cieri

Broad and convincing victory. Lazio finds a smile in Cagliari after the elimination in the Europa League and the knockout with Napoli. Clear and well-deserved success, the result of an almost perfect performance in the first half and control in the second half. The unlocks the usual Property, from the disk. And for him it is a historic goal, the 143rd in Serie A with Lazio. Now he is also (together with Piola) he is the best scorer in the history of the club in the league. The attacker then ends the game in precarious conditions due to a blow to the side. The other goals are signed by Luis Alberto and Felipe Anderson. Bad cold shower, however, for Cagliari. After the precious victory with Torino, Mazzari’s team takes three steps backwards in the fight for salvation. Second knockout for the Sardinians in this 2022, once again at the hands of a team from the capital (the other defeat came at the Olimpico with Roma).

CIRO OPENS

The first half is a Lazio monologue. Cagliari is seen only in the last action of recovery with a header from Marin that ends just outside. But until then, only Sarri’s team has been on the pitch. Who takes possession of the midfield from the first minutes and never gives up. The tight phrasing is finally Sarriano, Lazio attack above all through the central streets thanks to the great work of the two interns Luis Alberto and Milinkovic. The outsiders Felipe Anderson and Zaccagni are less involved, but when they take action they too create problems. Faced with this technical and physical supremacy, Cagliari gives the impression of not being able to fight back. Not that the Sardinians lack concentration and competitive spirit, but those alone are not enough to stop the numbers of the Lazio players. After the attempts of Immobile (shot just outside) and Felipe Anderson (weak conclusion from an excellent position), Immobile from 11 meters takes care of the breakthrough. Penalty awarded by the Var for Altare’s hand ball shot by Luis Alberto. Lazio does not stop and continues to play as if it were still 0-0. Milinkovic goes close to doubling with a header that crosses Cragno and also the crossbar. Then the 2-0 comes thanks to Luis Alberto at the end of a counterattack that sets the Spaniard himself for Immobile, the center-forward launches Felipe Anderson who serves the ball to Luis Alberto for the most comfortable tap-in.

CLOSES FELIPE

The recovery slips away in a way that is not too different from the first half, even if Lazio slows down a bit and Cagliari tries to have a reaction. The Sardinians are close with Marin scoring that could reopen the match at the opening of the second half, but it is still an isolated episode in the context of a match that is always in control for Lazio. Mazzarri tries to reopen it with the changes: in Pavoletti and Carboni for Deiola and Altare, then also Baselli for Pereiro (and in the final Ceppitelli and Zappa for Goldaniga and Dalbert), but the inertia of the game does not change. Lazio concedes a little field to Cagliari, but this allows them to be even more deadly in the counterattack. The biancocelesti wasted two or three, but then at the right moment they strike again. Milinkovic intercepts a ball in midfield and throws Felipe Anderson who slips into the area, overtakes two opponents and deposits on the net. The game ends there. Cagliari surrendered and Lazio administered until the end, even if Marusic was sent off for a double yellow card in the final.

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