Lazio threw away a 1-0 lead on the night, 5-2 on aggregate, by conceding three goals in four minutes to crash out of the Europa League against RB Salzburg.
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Lazio threw away a 1-0 lead on the night, 5-2 on aggregate, by conceding three goals in four minutes to crash out of the Europa League against RB Salzburg.
Follow all the action as it happens and give your views on the LIVEBLOG.
The Aquile won the first leg of this quarter-final 4-2 at the Olimpico, which was the first defeat Salzburg had suffered in Europe this season and their first in all competition since August. Although the Derby della Capitale was coming up on Sunday and Ciro Immobile was a yellow card away from suspension, Simone Inzaghi opted to use his strongest line-up.
Hee-Chan Hwang was suspended for the first leg and made an immediate impact here, his shot beaten away by Thomas Strakosha after just five minutes.
Lucas Leiva’s chest and low volley was deflected wide, but Lazio wasted a promising counter-attack by picking the wrong pass.
Stefan de Vrij made a crucial tackle as Reinhold Yabo ran into the box and on the resulting corner Duje Caleta-Car’s header was off target.
Luiz Felipe charged down a Valon Berisha scorcher, but Sergej Milinkovic-Savic chipped up a fine assist only for Ciro Immobile to scuff the volley.
Lazio had a double chance go to waste just before half-time, as two players sprung the offside trap and got in each others’ way, then Luis Alberto’s back-heel flick released Immobile to force a desperate save from Alexander Walke’s outstretched foot.
Immobile had another massive scoring opportunity at the dawn of the second half, but hesitated as he ran clear on a Luiz Felipe ball and tried to flick it over Walke, who got a hand to it from point-blank range.
Immobile did finally get the ball in the back of the net when springing the offside trap from a Luis Alberto through ball, keeping his cool and curling a right-foot finish into the far top corner from 14 yards. It was his eighth goal in just nine Europa League appearances this season.
However, within 60 seconds it was 1-1, because Munas Dabbur’s strike took a deflection off Luiz Felipe to surprise Thomas Strakosha.
It was suddenly wide open and Immobile had another very similar goal ruled offside in a tight decision, then Senad Lulic failed to make the most of a smart Luis Alberto assist.
There was a huge risk at the other end too, Xaver Schlager’s ferocious left-foot strike smacking against the base of the upright and a diving Hee-Chang Hwang header whistled wide, but Lazio wasted a massive counter-attack when substitute Felipe Anderson laid it on a silver platter for Luis Alberto, only for the Spaniard to pass it straight to the goalkeeper.
Lazio were made to pay for that error, because 60 seconds later Salzburg took the lead with an Amadou Haidara strike from distance that flew into the far bottom corner.
Suddenly, the Aquile completely lost their heads and conceded three goals in four minutes. Hee-Chan Hwang sprung the offside trap, as Yabo didn’t touch the through ball, and managed to squeeze in the finish from a tight angle.
Stefan Lainer was then allowed a totally free header at the back post on a corner, flicked on by Andre Ramalho, to put Salzburg 4-1 up on the night, 6-5 up on aggregate.
Immobile was brought down in the box by Walke, but only after he’d been flagged offside. It was ultimately a night of horribly wasted opportunity, as Lazio thought the job was done at 5-2 up on aggregate and self-destructed.
RB Salzburg 4-1 Lazio (6-5 agg)
Immobile 55 (L), Dabbur 56 (S), Haidara 72 (S), Hwang 74 (S), Lainer 76 (S)
RB Salzburg: Walke; Lainer, Ramalho, Čaleta-Car, Ulmer; Haidara, Schlager, Berisha; Yabo; Hee-Chan Hwang (Gulbrandsen 79), Dabbur
Lazio: Strakosha; Luiz Felipe, De Vrij, Radu; Basta (Lukaku 60), Parolo, Lucas Leiva (Nani 78), Milinkovic-Savic (Felipe Anderson 69), Lulic; Luis Alberto; Immobile
Ref: Skomina (SVN)