Lazio have work to do in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie against Bodo/Glimt, as a Ulrik Saltnes double in tough conditions inflicted a 2-0 defeat upon the Biancocelesti in Norway on Thursday night.
Marco Baroni stuck with a relatively familiar side for the trip to Norway: Christos Mandas started over Ivan Provedel in goal, while Boulaye Dia was handed an opportunity up top with the recently-returned Taty Castellanos among the substitutes. Nicolo Rovella missed out through suspension, which brought Matias Vecino back into the midfield alongside Matteo Guendouzi.
You can see how the action unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.
Jens Hauge drew the first save of the game from Mandas, who did very well to get down low and tip the effort behind for a corner after a bending effort in from the left flank.
The former Milan forward caused plenty of issues down the Glimt left-flank in the first period; It was the hosts who recorded the vast majority of the chances in the opening 45.
Ole Blomberg had an excellent opportunity to convert from a cut-back 10 yards out in the middle of the box, but miscued and scuffed his effort wide of the target in what was arguably the biggest chance of the half.
Lazio, meanwhile, were largely limited to chances from set-pieces, with Gila’s header from Mattia Zaccagni’s corner the only shot on target from the Biancocelesti in the first half.
It took just 70 seconds after the restart for the deadlock to be broken. A neat passage of play that passed through Hauge and Blomberg ended with the ball being fed into Saltnes, who slotted past Mandas from 10 yards out for 1-0.
Saltnes could have been on a hat-trick midway through the second half. He had another opportunity 10 minutes after his opener, and then volleyed over the bar from 10 yards out after a trick delivery just past the hour mark.
The 32-year-old did end up on the scoresheet again just before the 70th minute with a wonderfully-worked Glimt goal. Hauge skinned Matias Vecino, sat him down, dinked a lovely lifted ball into the area, where Saltnes managed to loft over the onrushing Mandas for 2-0.
Saltnes almost made it three for Glimt – again – in the final 10 minutes, drawing a point-blank save from Mandas to stop his shot from less than 10 yards out.
Loum Tchaouna had a go for Lazi owith his first touchj after coming on as a late substitute, but his effort was always sailing over and went behind for a goal kick.
Lazio finished the game with just one shot on target – Gila’s first-half header, which was not a particularly tricky effort to keep out. Work to do at the Olimpico next week.
Bodo/Glimt 2-0 Lazio
Saltnes 47′, 69′.
Uefa should not allow artificial pitches in its competitions. This is ridiculous
Would you allow NBA it’s game played on say tarmac?like at school
Why don’t they play better than a team from Norway???? Are we serious? Cmon man grow up.
I thought those artificial pitches were banned years ago?
Anyway, poor result. Lazio will need to tear into B/G in the return.