Champions, Feyenoord-Lazio 3-1: brace from Gimenez, goals from Zerrouki and Pedro

by our correspondent Stefano Cieri

October 25th
– Rotterdam

Lazio’s run in the Champions League comes to an end. After the draw with Atletico Madrid and the victory in Glasgow against Celtic, in Rotterdam Sarri’s team suffered a clear and unextenuating defeat. Feyenoord dominated far and wide for 80 minutes, scoring three goals and coming close to at least three more. The Roman team managed to do something only in the final ten minutes, in which they closed the gap and even came close to scoring the second goal. Too little, however, to have any recriminations. Fair result and heavy defeat, also because Feyenoord with these three points overtakes Lazio in the standings who are now third in their group. The return match against the Dutch scheduled for two weeks at the Olimpico will be decisive for qualifying for the round of 16.

Dutch monologue

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The first half is a Feyenoord monologue. The home team took command of the operations from the start thanks to great determination and a team game that proved beautiful and effective. The 4-3-3 deployed by Slot involves an occupation of the pitch in width which disorientates Lazio. The dangers come above all thanks to the work of the two attacking wingers Stengs and Paixao who systematically overcome their controllers, Marusic and Hysaj. But Lazio also suffers tremendously in the middle where the trio of Dutch midfielders is decidedly better on the ball than the Lazio one. Lazio’s attitude is passive and this facilitates the task of the home team. Which comes close to scoring after 3 minutes with Paixao (provedel saves), then with a header from Gimenez in the 10th minute (the ball barely goes out). Sarri’s team tries to slow down the game to stem the home team’s fury, but the plan succeeds only for a few minutes. In the 25th minute Feyenoord scores, but Lazio is saved by VAR who catches a millimetric offside by Gimenez following a pass from Stengs (the goal had arrived thanks to a carom between Gimenez and Hysaj, it would have been an own goal). The disallowed goal, rather than demoralizing Feyenoord, gives them even more energy. The goal that unlocks the match comes in the 31st minute. It was achieved by Gimenez who made perfect use of a through ball from Wieffer, with Casale guiltily letting the Mexican center forward kick. Lazio tries to react, but apart from a header from Luis Alberto (saved by Bijlow) it produces nothing interesting. Instead, it is the Dutch who continue to lead the way. And in full recovery, in the 47th minute, the second goal also arrived thanks to a shot from outside by Zerrouki, served by Stengs.

Recovery

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The second goal just before half-time ends up breaking Lazio’s legs. Sarri tries to revive his team with two substitutions. The coach brings in Lazzari for Hysaj and Guendouzi for Rovella (Vecino becomes playmaker). But the inertia of the game does not change. Feyenoord are still in control of the match. And to make himself dangerous. In the 6th minute Paixao, all alone in front of Provedel, devours an incredible goal (he shoots high). The episode that could reopen everything arrives in the 13th minute and falls at the feet of Castellanos who has recently come in for Immobile. A shot from Zaccgni from the left forces goalkeeper Bijlow to make a difficult clearance which ends up at the feet of the Argentinian. Which, with the door wide open, he sends high. Having escaped the danger, Feyenoord restarted even stronger. Sarri’s subsequent substitutions were of no avail (Pedro also came in for Felipe Anderson and then Cataldi for Vecino). It is always the home team that commands operations. The 3-0 came in the 29th minute thanks to an initiative by Jahanbakhsh (who had just come on in place of Paixao). His assist for Timber is delicious, but he somehow manages to block midfielder Provedel’s shot. However, on the rebound Gimenez anticipates everyone and puts it in. With a three-goal lead, Feyenoord understandably decided to slow down and simply control the game. But in this way he favors Lazio’s reaction. Who closes the gap with Pedro from the spot (penalty called for a foul by Lopez on Castellanos) and then has two more goals, first with Castellanos (header just over) then in full injury time with Romagnoli with whose conclusion Bijlow surpasses himself to save the door.