Lazio Secures Second Place in Serie A with 2-0 Win Over Empoli

The Lazio beat 2-0 theEmpoli to Castellani on the last day of Serie A, finishing in second place in the league 24 years after the last time. After a fought first half and with few chances, including a Immobile deviated from VicarLazio unlocked the match at the start of the second half with Romagna peoplegood at shooting a corner kick on goal Luis Alberto. The Tuscan reaction brought no dangers for Provedel, while in full recovery – after the expulsion of Cambiaghi in the 90th minute – the same Luis Alberto to insert the doubling.

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THE MATCH

A Lazio like this it had never been seen in the Lotito era. The formation of Sarribeating theEmpoli 2-0 on the last day of Serie A, they finished the championship in second place with 74 points, at a stellar distance from the champions Napoli but still ahead of the rest of the team for the first time since 1999/2000. Three points, those also collected in Tuscany with the coach (formerly on duty) disqualified in the stands, which confirmed the goodness of the season with the goals by Romagnoli and Luis Alberto to seal the 13th away clean sheet in this championship. Great team numbers, Champions League numbers.

against theEmpoli already except mathematically, Castellani’s match was played without the anguish of the result at all costs and Lazio’s quality paid off in the ninety minutes. In the first half Empoli and Lazio they faced each other openly, playing it out rather than trying to defend their own goal, but in an infinite number of potential scoring chances on balance there were only a couple of conclusions and all for the guests: first Patric from the edge of the area came close to the advantage, then Immobile – launched in depth by Luis Alberto – came to terms with the reflexes of Vicario on the way out.

The discourse changed immediately in the second half. At the first corner kick, Empoli’s real weak point this season, Lazio went through by signing a 1-0 lead with a header at the near post from Romagna people on the perfect trajectory designed by Luis Alberto. With the match unblocked and shirts getting wider as the minutes went by, if on the one hand Empoli tried to equalize by exploiting the qualities of change them on the other Vicar he kept his teammates up with 2-3 interventions on Immobile that soiled the Lazio center forward’s evening. In the end though change them after a nice volley saved by Provedel got his second yellow card and then the expulsion, leaving the field for Lazio in full recovery to sign the 2-0 with Luis Albertofor once on an assist from Immobile and not vice versa.

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REPORT CARDS

Romagnolas 7 – Closes the relaunch season with a goal and a solid match, like many others this season. Perfect defender for Sarri’s defensive phase, he doesn’t allow himself smudges to Castellani.

Immobile 6,5 – She’s doing better and it shows in the cues in depth. He doesn’t find the winning play, but simply goes for the shot or frees his teammates in the area.

Vicar 6.5 – Proves to be one of the strongest and most focused goalkeepers in the entire championship with at least three decisive interventions. He can do nothing about Romagnoli’s goal, but he’s always there where he can go.

Exchange 6 – Next season Empoli should start from him. When he starts ball and chain he always gives the impression of having clear ideas and the technique to make good plays. He came close to the Eurogol in the final, but then took the second naive yellow card.

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THE TABLE

EMPOLI-LAZIO 0-2
Empoli (4-2-3-1): Vicar 6,5 (38′ st Ujkani sv); Stojanovic 6, Walukiewicz 6, Luperto 6.5, Cacace 6; Grassi 6 (12′ st Henderson 6), Bandinelli 5.5 (30′ st Haas 6); Akpa Akpro 6.5, Fazzini 6 (38′ st Satriano sv), Cambiaghi 6; Small 5.5 (30′ st Right 6). Available: Perisan, Tonelli, Ismajli, Parisi, Renzi, Pjaca, Vignato. Herds: Zanetti 6.

Lazio (4-3-3): Provedel 6; Hysaj 6, Patric 6, Romagnoli 7 (26′ st Casale 6), Pellegrini 6; Milinkovic-Savic 6.5, Vecino 6 (26′ st Cataldi 6), Luis Alberto 7; F. Anderson 6, Immobile 6.5, Pedro 6.5 (18′ st Zaccagni 6). Unavailable: Maximiano, Adamonis, Radu, Gila, Antonio, Zaccagni, Lazzari, Bertini, Basic, Cancellieri, Gonzalez. All.: Martusciello 6.

Markers: 3′ st Romagnoli, 47′ st Luis Alberto

Referee: Maximum

Ammonite yourself: Akpa Akpro(E); Milinkovic-Savic, Vecino (L)

Expelled: 45′ st Cambiaghi (E) due to yellow cards

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OPTA STATISTICS

• Lazio have earned 74 points in this league and only in 2019/20 (78) did they do better in a Serie A season.

• Lazio finished in the top two positions of Serie A for the first time since 1999/00 (in which they won the Scudetto), while they have not been runners-up since 1998/99.

• Ivan Provedel has recorded 21 clean sheets in this league, in the three points for a win era (since 1994/95) no goalkeeper has kept a clean sheet more than once in a Serie A season, like Gianluigi Buffon in 2015/ 16, Morgan De Sanctis in 2013/14 and Gianluigi Buffon in 2011/12.

• Since playing in Serie A (2016/17) Luis Alberto is the player with the most assists in the top flight (55).

• Since the beginning of March, Lazio have obtained the most points in Serie A: 29 – the result of nine wins, two draws and three defeats.

• Lazio are the team that has obtained the most external clean sheets among the teams of the five major European leagues this season (13).

• Overall, Lazio have kept 21 clean sheets this campaign, a record for the Biancocelesti in a single season in Serie A.

• Luis Alberto has dished six assists in 2023 in Serie A, none of the midfielders has done better in the top flight (Brahim Díaz also has six).

• Luis Alberto has scored six goals in this league, only in 2020/21 (nine) and 2017/18 (11) did he do more in a single season in Serie A.

• Alessio Romagnoli has scored twice in this league, he has never done better in a single season in the top flight.

• Lazio have earned 37 away points in this league, only in 2017/18 (40) have they done better away from home in a Serie A season.

• Empoli have lost a Serie A match for the first time since last April (1-2 against Sassuolo) after a five-game unbeaten run (W3, D2).

• Empoli are the team that has received the most red cards in this league (seven)

• Luca Pellegrini returned to regular Serie A matches 398 days after his last appearance (against Venezia on 1 May 2022).

• Samir Ujkani played in his 50th Serie A game.

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