Spezia-Lazio 0-3: goals from Immobile, Anderson and Marcos Antonio

From our correspondent Stefano Cieri

April 14th
– Spice

Lazio continues its run towards the Champions League with another victory (the seventh in the last eight games) and a performance which, after some initial suffering, touches moments of sublime and tremendously productive football. Consolidated second place, waiting to know the results of the other teams vying for the first four places. Semplici’s Spezia (only one knockout in the last six before tonight) after a promising start must surrender to the technical superiority of the opponents. The road to salvation remains complicated. Goals from Immobile from a penalty (he hadn’t scored for two months), Felipe Anderson and Marcos Antonio decide. But it is all of Sarri’s team who express themselves at their best.

Unlock Property

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Lo Spezia, who Semplici mirrors against Lazio with a very aggressive 4-3-3, starts very strong, pushed as usual by a really hot crowd. The home team enters the center of the ring with very high pace and clear ideas and tries to deliver knockout blows. It comes very close on two occasions. In the 2nd minute with Bourabia, whose volley from Verde’s low cross hits the crossbar, beaten by Provedel. And then, ten minutes later, with Nzola coming close to scoring with a header from an excellent position on Bourabia’s cross (the shot went just short). The intensity of the hosts fades around the quarter of an hour. Also because Lazio, who had started off a bit distracted, are starting to fuel up thanks to the movement of their three midfielders and the accelerations of Zaccagni and Felipe Anderson. The first ring of the guests is a volley from Luis Alberto on which Ampadu providentially sacrifices himself. A few minutes later, Sarri’s team claimed a penalty for contact in the area between Ampadu and Immobile. Irrati let it go, but in the 35th minute he pointed to the penalty spot for an intervention by Ampadu himself on Felipe Anderson. The player from Spezia first touches the leg of the Lazio player and then the ball, for which the referee decrees the penalty that Immobile coldly transforms. Spezia accuses the blow and gets lost. The midfield trio Bourabia-Espostio-Ekdal, which in the first minutes had led the dance, is starting to show some cracks. And in the final half Lazio could double. Immobile one step away from the (empty) goal, he incredibly devours a golden ball served to him by Milinkovic. Then it was the Serbian midfielder who forced Dragowski into a far from easy save.

Double Felipe

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The recovery begins with Spezia intending to put things right. But the desire to equalize pushes the hosts to reveal themselves a little too much. Thus prairies open up for Lazio which does not ask for anything else. After a free shot from Immobile, the right action to make it 2-0 comes thanks to a first-time combination between Immobile, Felipe Anderson and Luis Alberto. The assist is from the Spaniard, the goal is signed by the Brazilian. For Spezia, a nasty blow that comes just when Semplici’s team was trying to regroup. However, pride does not abandon the hosts who pour into the Lazio half to reopen the game. Ekdal has a good opportunity, but Provedel is ready on his shot. The coach of the Ligurians tries to reshuffle the cards to give him more boost. And he inserts Reca (for Nikolaou), Agudelo (for Bourabia) and Maldini (for Gyasi) in one fell swoop. Subsequently, the coach will also put Shomurodov on for Verde. Sarri’s response is the inclusion of Pedro for Immobile (with Felipe Anderson becoming central striker), then Marcos Antonio for Cataldi and Cancellieri for Zaccagni in the final. The changes, however, do not change the inertia of the race. As the minutes go by, Spezia pulls the oars in the boat, Lazio controls with the dribble and even touches the trio with Felipe Andeson and Milinkovic. However, the 3-0 arrived at the end of the match thanks to a solo by Marcos Antonio who covered 60 meters of the field and after passing Dragowski too, he deposited his first Italian goal in the net.