A strange and difficult to judge season came to it’s eventual end for Lazio today at home against the already doomed Sassuolo. The Biancocelesti looked to be building momentum on a few occasions throughout the season but could never put together a run of results that took advantage of opportunities others presented to them. The highlight of the season was undoubtedly a famous 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League round of 16.
Today the Aquile needed only a draw to secure seventh place ahead of Fiorentina but they undoubtedly wanted to finish off the season on a high note in front of their supporters and Scudetto – winning former manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Mister Eriksson was treated to quite the show as it turned out in the capital this evening, the Laziali serenaded the Swede in a touching moment before unveiling a tifo in his honor. On the pitch it was a much more low-brow affair. Mattia Zaccagni eventually opened the scoring after an hour of play with a lovely free-kick that dipped into the bottom-left corner. The lead only lasted 6 minutes though. Sassuolo replied through Mattia Viti at the back post and it remained at 1-1 till the finally whistle. No final victory for Felipe Anderson as the the Biancocelesti close out the season with a draw.
For the final time this Serie A season let’s have a look at our Lazio Player Ratings:
Lazio (3-4-2-1)
Ivan Provedel – 6
Good with his feet tonight and only tasked with elementary stops in the first half. The goal came from point blank range.
Adam Marusic – 5
Hit and miss out wide for the Montenegrin. Some crosses found their target while the ball went astray on other occasions.
Alessio Romagnoli – 6
Switched on and more then capable when called upon, which was rarely before the break. Didn’t do much wrong at all tonight.
Mario Gila – 6.5
Burst into life from the first whistle with a fantastic filtered pass Hysaj should have put away. The 23 year old was strong in the tackle and shut down multiple attacks by himself. Top quality display.
Elseid Hysaj – 5.5
Massive chance at the beginning seemed to catch the Albanian cold and he was unable to get his feet sorted. Added to his performance with some nice interceptions.
Matias Vecino – 5.5
Quality wasn’t as high this time, on or off the ball. Couldn’t drift into space as easily or initiate moves. Removed to let Anderson enjoy his last game.
Nicolo Rovella – 6.5
Took a while to get his passing radar calibrated but once it was he was involved in some big opportunities. Kept Cristian Volpato under wraps. Impressive.
Luca Pellegrini – 6
Started a little clumsily but settled in and almost got himself an assist. Contributed a handful of tough tackles. Also involved in the Neroverdi half.
Daichi Kamada – 5.5
Lively and confident presence in midfield who always looked ready to cut Sassuolo apart. Alessio Cragno’s fingertips denied him the opener. Undid a lot of this good work by completely neglecting Viti for the equaliser.
Mattia Zaccagni – 6
Very few sparks for most of the game then hit a gorgeous free-kick to break the deadlock from a good distance. Otherwise very little to discuss.
Taty Castellanos – 5
Plenty of work when he dropped deep but his main problem – goalscoring – remains unconquered. In fairness there wasn’t a whole lot to feed off. The crowd signalled their disapproval when he was subbed off.
Substitutes:
Manuel Lazzari – 4.5
Struggled to get much of a look in at all when he came in off the bench.
Felipe Anderson -6.5
Came in for his 38th game of the season and final Lazio appearance. Wore the captain’s armband too. Determination to finish well and bring energy to proceedings showed. Admirable and will be missed next year after being such a mainstay. Great player and servant to the club.
Matteo Guendouzi – 6
Arrived on the scene to add some aggression to the Lazio midfield. This sometimes turned to frustration but overall he played well and it’s difficult to see how this determination didn’t warrant a starting place.
Ciro Immobile – 6.5
Better contributions then Castellanos were immediately obvious. Held onto the ball well and his movements were just more intelligent then the man he replaced. In saying this he did have a massive chance he couldn’t finish off.