Lazio (1) 1 - 1 (0) Arsenal
Rome, Tuesday October 17th 2000
UEFA Champions League, first stage, match 4
see below for reports
Preview
- Arsenal team news
Tony Adams faces a late fitness check, but Wenger is confident he'll be
ok, and Martin Keown is
expected to return. If Adams is ok, Grimandi will doubtless partner
Vieira in central midfield. Ljungberg is also available and likely to be
rewarded for his goalscoring in the first match, as Wenger is said to be
looking to attack the Rome side. So there may not be a starting place for
Ray Parlour.
Bergkamp is out, of course, so Kanu-Henry is the
expected forward line.
possible team:
Seaman
Luzhny Adams Keown Silvinho
Ljungberg Vieira Grimandi Pires
Kanu Henry
- Lazio team news
Nesta was brought off at half-time in Lazio's 3-0 win over Perugia at
the weekend, but it was only porecautionary and he is expected to play
against the Gunners. Manager Sven Goran Eriksson has said that despite the
good result at the weekend, Lazio will need to make a leap in quality to
overcome the Arsenal. "It is a terrifying challenge", he said.
The Wenger-Eriksson duel of tactics takes on an even more interesting
edge now. Since the first game between the sides, Keegan has resigned and
the these 2 coaches have been mooted as favourites to be offered the
England job.
Lazio have a full-strength squad, although record signing Hernan Crespo is
still a few games away from 100% match-fitness, so Inzaghi and Lopez
could get the nod up front. Youngster Roberto Baronio replaced
Beckham's mate Diego Simeone at the weekend and did well, but the
Argentine's experience is likely to see him return.
- non-UK TV coverage
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- See also
Lazio (1) 1 - 1 (0) Arsenal
Rome, Tuesday October 17th 2000
UEFA Champions League, first stage, match 4
scorers: Silvinho og (23) Pires 88
Arsenal:
Lukic
Dixon (c) Keown Luzhny Silvinho
Parlour (Pires 60) Grimandi (Lauren 65) Vieira Ljungberg (Wiltord 73)
Kanu Henry
Due to Seaman's injury, John Lukic started his firts first team
game for 3 years, and at just short of 40 years of age became the
oldest player to play in the Champions league.
Arsenal had the best of the first half, but went in a goal down
thanks to a very jammy goal on 23 minutes. The ball came to
Nedved on the edge of the box on our left, and as Silvinho came
across to challenge Nedved tried to move the ball wide to his right,
back past Silvinho the way he was coming from. But the ball hit Silvinho's
shin and looped over Lukic inside the far post. The goal was initially
credited to Nedved but that will doubtless change as the Czech was
actually trying to play the ball in the completely opposite direction.
Lazio had looked dangerous in the first few minutes. Grimandi stepped in
to clear after Inzaghi was giving Keown problems on the edge of the box.
Then Luzhny made a brilliant tackle when a ball over the top put Inzaghi
through. The striker looked to have beaten Luzhny but the big Ukrainian kept up
with him and got a crucial foot in to rob him of the ball.
Nesta blocked Ljungberg after a good ball from Silvinho down the
left wing. The Braslian swung the free-kick in and Grimandi got a
free header on it but directed it just wide of the near post.
Moments later Grimandi had a shot from outside the box, which stayed low
as it fizzed dangerously up off the ground. It would have been very
difficult for the keeper if it hadn't gone straight down his throat.
On 10 minutes Henry won another free kick off Nesta on the left and again Silvinho
whipped it in, this time Kanu didn't have so much space for the header and
it went high.
Up the other end, a dangerous low cross from Nedved on our right into a crowded box
went straight through along the 6 yard line in front of Lukic.
Another cross from the right, a high one this time, was headed goalwards but
cleared by Keown. Good thing too as it was far from clear if Lukic would have got
there ahead of an approaching striker.
On 20 Kanu tried a shot from distance when Silvinho, in acres of space on the left,
would have been a better option. The ball was worked out to Silvinho anyway,
and he tried to dribble it into the box only to be denied by an excellent
Nesta tackle.
Arsenal were having the better of the play at this point, and were stunned when
the jammiest of goals went in at the other end (see above). It was kind of
reminiscent of another crucial jammy goal scored in Italy. I'm thinking of
Germany's World Cup semi-final goal against England in 1990 which ballooned
past Peter Shilton off Paul Parker (although in that case the German player
was at least trying to hit it goalwards!).
The goal didn't change things that much, with Arsenal continuing to
dominate possession and position for the rest of the half.
A Parlour cross from the right was well intercepted by Nesta as it looked set to
reach Henry in space in the D.
10 minutes from half time a high cross came to Silvinho wide of the box on the left.
His brilliant first touch took him past the first defender, and then he skipped round
Nesta just inside the box. The keeper came out and Silvinho tried to lift it over
him. But he didn't get enough height on it and the keeper blocked. Kanu could only
poke at it as it came past him quickly a few yards away, and was unlucky to see the ball
roll out just past the far post.
Parlour blasted a shot high and then Ljungberg conceded a unlucky-looking free-kick to
Nesta on our left
up the other end. Lukic did really well, jumping to his left to parry Mihjailovic's
strike.
With the first half nearing its end, Nesta dived near his own goal-line to win a
booking for Ljungberg. Then Kanu tried another long-range shot but hit the ground
first with his foot and and only manage to scuff it tamely wide of the far post.
Lazio came out much better for the second half. In the first minute, Inzaghi
wasted a very good chance. They beat the offside trap (for once) and he was
1-on-1 with Lukic but only tapped it well wide of the veteran keeper's left hand post.
Lopez (on at half-time for Stankovic) had made the run with him, so altough Luzhny
was there to try to make it hard for Inzaghi, it really was a gilt-edged chance.
10 minutes after the break things got a bit silly for a while. It kicked off
when Grimandi, having been shoved in the back by Nesta, appeared to lash out with
his arm at Simeone as he stumbled forward. Simeone got up with blood coming from near his
left eye. Then Nesta had a go at winding Keown up as the players prepared for an Arsenal
free-kick to come into the box, and succeeded in getting them both booked.
Just before the hour, Lukic made a mistake coming for a cross from his left, the ball
went over him and Salas turned the dropping ball onto the post with his hand. I don't
think the handball was seen, so much thanks to the woodwork for that one!
On the hour, Pires came on for Parlour, a direct replacement both on the pitch, and
in the shorthand being used for my report notes :-)
Vieira had a shot from distance which went well over, and then Grimandi was brought off
for Lauren. With Parlour and Grimandi off we were looking a lot less strong in midfield.
Salas got the ball in the net they were offside once again (although some of the
offside decisions were close, the sheer number of them made you wonder if they knew
the rule).
With just over 15 minutes to go, Wiltord came on for Ljungberg, and our doubts about the
midfield intensified!
5 minutes later Lauren gave the ball to Lopez as he tried unnecessarily to carry the
ball out of our penalty area. But 2 red shirts came across to help and Lopez was
shepherded out for a goal kick. Then Luzhny made a great interception just as a
through ball appearde to have gotten through to Crespo on the left hand side of our box.
Lauren tried to make amends at the other end, and did well to get past his man to the
goal-line, but then he only managed to pass it softly to the unchallenged keeper at
the near post.
Kanu, still trying a shot at every opportunity (and, like at the weekend, not
showing his usual touch in the close control either). Wiltord was brought down
running clear with the ball into the box, but the whistle had already gone for a
Lazio free-kick (dunno what for).
2 minutes of normal time remaining, and Robert Pires ran from the half-way line
onto a ball over the top. Nesta tried to get a hand ont he ball as it went over, and
will be rueing missing that chance as Pires took the ball to the corner of the box
and whipped a perfect shot past the approaching keeper and inside the far post.
In the remaining minutes things went from the sublime to the ridiculous.
First there was a very good bit of injury-time possession play by Arsenal,
passing the ball all over the pitch to use up the minutes.
But when we did lose it we managed to put the ball in our own net. Following a
heart-stopping scramble in the 6 yard box, the ball came across the left hand side of
the goal. With 3 red shirts there and no blue, Lee Dixon appeared to see a threat that
wasn't there. He could have just left the ball for someone else to clear, but instead
he lunged at it desperately and played it off Wiltord into the net. The Arsenal players
obviously thought it was another own goal, but the ref had given a free-kick for Salas's
high boot as he challenged Keown.
The equaliser came just as I was preparing my explanation of why a 1 goal loss was good result too
(it would have meant Arsenal would be above Lazio if the 2 teams finished level
on points - which at 1-0 in this game looked very likely).
As it is, we're clear on top of the group, and guaranteed a place in the second phase with 2
games to go thanks
to Shakhtars's surprising 2-1 comeback against Sparta. Lazio will also be thankful for thet
result, as a Sparta win would have made their qualification very doubtful.
Rupe.
See also this newsreel piece for post-match fallout.
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