On 27 August one of the matches of the 2nd round of the Italian football championship took place. Lazio (Rome) and Genoa met.
Italian Championship, 2nd round
Lazio ( Rome) - Genoa ( Genoa) - 0:1 (0:1)
Goals: M. Retegu (16)
Warnings: Cataldi (38), M. Frendrup (39), Malinovski (61), Luca Pellegrini (90+2), C. Immobile (90+4), Zaccagni (90+3).
In a tense Serie A match between Lazio and Genoa at the legendary Stadio Olimpico, the visitors won 1-0. The match showed the intensity and rivalry inherent in Italian football, both teams never gave up trying to win. The first half started with the first goal of Genoa player M. Retegui in the 16th minute. The striker showed amazing composure to beat the Lazio goalkeeper and put his team ahead. Lazio tried to respond, but failed to score before the half-time whistle and the score became 0-1. At the start of the second half Lazio stepped up their efforts to equalise. However, in some moments the Genoa defence held back their attacking impulses. In the 61st minute, R. Malinowski (Genoa) received a yellow card, showing the tenacity with which both teams fought for the lead. In the 66th and 67th minutes, when the game entered the decisive stage, Lazio decided to make a number of substitutions. A. Marusic and D. Kamada appeared on the pitch, replacing L. Pellegrini and M. Vecino respectively.
In the 67th minute Felipe Anderson was also substituted, making way for G. Isaksen. In the 70th minute, Genoa responded to the changes in Lazio's line-up with their own substitutions. R. Malinovski and M. Retegui were withdrawn from the game, while S. Hefti and K. Ekuban came on as substitutes. In an attempt to maintain a slight advantage in the score Lazio made another substitution - K. Strootman replaced M. Thorsby, and in the 79th minute D. Cataldi was replaced by T. Castellanos. Genoa also made one last substitution in the 85th minute, replacing S. Sabelli with A. Martin. The match ended on a fiery note: in the 90th minute Lazio players L. Pellegrini and M. Zaccagni received yellow cards, which further inflamed the atmosphere on the pitch. At the same minute Genoa made the last substitution, replacing F. Iagiello with A. Gudmundsson. Overall, it was a hard fought game between two competitive Serie A teams. Despite the fact that Lazio gave their all in the second half, it was Genoa who secured a 1-0 victory thanks to an early goal from Retega. The match showed the determination and skill of the players, giving the fans a thrilling spectacle at the Stadio Olimpico.
The next round of fixtures await the rivals: Napoli vs Lazio, Torino vs Genoa.
| Lazio | Genoa | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kicks to the goal | 3 |
| 14 | Kicks | 5 |
| 4 | Blocked shots | 1 |
| 8 | Penalty kicks | 3 |
| 6 | Kicks from outside the penalty box | 2 |
| 9 | Offences | 16 |
| 14 | Corners | 1 |
| 0 | Offsides | 0 |
| 70% | Ball possession | 30% |
| 4 | Yellow cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 2 | Keeper saves | 2 |
| 709 | Total assists | 307 |
| 622 | Accurate assists | 229 |
| 88% | Accuracy of passes | 75% |