Italy: A second-half goal from substitute Libor Kozak saw Lazio accomplish a 2-1 comeback victory over Fiorentina in a Serie A game at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence on Saturday evening.
The Viola had taken the lead as early as the 19th minute, thanks to a Adem Ljajic spot-kick, but Edy Reja's side equalised just after the half-hour mark when a Cristian Ledesma shot was deflected off Manuel Pasqual into the net.
Then midway through the second-half Kozak popped up with the winner that sees Lazio fly high in the league.
The match commenced on a bright note for Fiorentina, who crafted their first chance as early as the third minute when Juan Manuel Vargas whipped in a cross from the left that was put just wide by Ljajic.
Four minutes later the Viola came close again but this time Alessio Cerci failed to find the target.
Lazio then started to get on to the action as Tommaso Rocchi released Hernanes for a ferocious strike at goal that Sebastien Frey just about managed to keep it out of the Viola goal.
Soon after Vargas attempted an audacious shot from an acute angle for Fiorentina.
The hosts eventually got their reward for their attacking display on 19 minutes when Cerci was pulled down inside the Lazio penalty area by Lorenzo De Silvestri and Ljajic successfully converted the resulting spot-kick.
However, the Aquile didn’t lose heart and went in search of an equaliser. Mark Bresciano could have restored parity midway through the first half when he tried a shot on the Fiorentina goal but couldn’t hit the target.
Edy Reja’s side did finally equalise and the goal came two minutes after the half hour mark. A quick attacking move from Lazio put the Viola defence into disarray and Ledesma saw his shot from inside the 18-yard box get deflected off Pasqual into the net.
The Biancocelesti could have made it 2-1 five minutes later had Bresciano’s stinging shot not sailed over the crossbar. Moments later Alberto Gilardino headed home a Cristiano Zanetti cross at the other end but it was ruled out for offside.
The second half started on a rather more tactical note as both teams tried to measure each other. The only chance of any kind created in the first ten minutes of the restart was done so by Lazio when Stefano Mauri released Rocchi down the left but to no avail.
However, on the hour mark Vargas found himself unmarked on the left side of the Aquile penalty area and the Peru international winger fired a shot that just went narrowly wide of the near post.
Fiorentina were forced to pay for that miss in the 67th minute when second-half substitute Kozak found the net from just yards out for the visitors. Skipper Mauri carved out the initially cross from the left that Hernanes shot at the Fiorentina goal. Frey spilled it and Kozak was quick to react.
Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side then went out in search of an equaliser but failed to create much except a Khouma Babacar shot that didn’t trouble Fernando Muslera much between the Lazio sticks and a De Silvestri attempt that went straight to the goalkeeper.
The 2-1 win for Lazio is their second win in a row in Serie A this season while Fiorentina's poor run in the league continues as they have now picked up just one point from their opening three games.
Comments
0 comment