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Roma, Stadio Olimpico, 9 novembre 2003 ore 20.45 invia una e-mail per i resoconti |
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There are few games on the world stage that can match the bitterness, rivalry and sheer passion of the Rome derby.
The timing could not have been worse for Lazio, just days after their humiliating 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Chelsea. Sinisa Mihajlovic, Angelo Peruzzi, Claudio Lopez, Roberto Muzzi and Stefano Fiore were out injured, so Roberto Mancini changed to a 4-5-1 formation.
Roma had not lost a 'home' derby game since 1997 and wheeled out the trident attack of Francesco Totti, Antonio Cassano - fresh from his first senior Italy call-up - and Vincenzo Montella. Jonathan Zebina stepped in for the injured Cristian Chivu, who damaged his shoulder midweek.
The first shot on goal came after three minutes when Matteo Sereni got his body behind a fierce Olivier Dacourt effort from distance.
Soon after Montella turned his marker and an angled drive was parried by Sereni, but Cassano just failed to pick up the loose ball.
Lazio slowly began to fight back and Sergio Conceicao's chip almost caught Ivan Pelizzoli off his line, then the former Atalanta goalkeeper held firm on a Dejan Stankovic shot.
It was a very tense game - as usual in the Rome derby - and a scuffle broke out when Bernardo Corradi reacted angrily to Dacourt's challenge. The former Leeds man was booked for the foul.
On the resulting free kick Paolo Negro popped up at the far post and fired just wide from eight yards.
Francesco Totti aimed to curl a free kick in only to see it deflected out for a corner kick.
The tension rose towards the end of the first half and there were some very tough challenges around the field.
Cassano saw a solo effort charged down and on the resulting corner kick Sereni plucked Emerson's header out of the air before Montella could pounce.
There was absolute panic in the Lazio box when Totti's free kick was only parried into the path of a group of players nad the defence eventually scrambled it clear. On the corner kick Mancini's powerful drive skimmed the crossbar.
Totti was convinced he had scored on the hour mark when his fantastic daisy-cutter clipped the edge of the upright.
Moments later Sergio Conceicao found space on the counter-attack, but ballooned it over the bar as he lost his balance.
Dejan Stankovic performed a wonderful solo effort as he skipped past two defenders, but his shot was a little too central and Pelizzoli got behind it.
The second half was much more open and Montella was caught offside as Totti held up the ball for him.
Lazio's injury woes deepened when Fabio Liverani limped off with a thigh problem, while Roma threw on John Carew for the final push.
Walter Samuel made an uncharacteristic error on 74 minutes when he cleared the ball straight at Stankovic, but his curling effort shaved the crossbar with Pelizzoli beaten.
The deadlock was eventually broken with a stunning goal ten minutes from time. Cassano turned a low free kick towards the near post and Alessandro Mancini flicked it in with his right heel. It was a beautiful and classy goal from the young Brazilian who has been a revelation for Roma this season.
The other Mancini - sitting on the Lazio bench - reacted immediately and threw on Simone Inzaghi, while local lad Daniele De Rossi made his derby debut.
This forced the game into life and the Biancocelesti left massive spaces at the back. Roma took full advantage and another Brazilian Emerson drilled an unstoppable low drive past Sereni following a splendid cross-field pass from Mancini.
Carew's
angled effort nearly made it three in injury time, but Roma celebrate a
confident win in style.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roma:
Pelizzoli; Zebina, Samuel, Panucci; Mancini, Emerson, Dacourt, Lima; Totti;
Cassano (De Rossi 82), Montella (Carew 72)
Lazio: Sereni; Oddo, Stam, Negro, Favalli; Conceicao (Inzaghi 81), Dabo, Liverani (Albertini 72), Giannichedda, Stankovic; Corradi
Ref:
Trefoloni
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