Lazio made a fantastic start to the season by running out 3-0 winners in an opening day win over Sampdoria.
Simone Inzaghi spoils Eusebio Di Francesco’s debut
The match started with Lazio holding possession of the ball and ended with Lazio controlling most of the game. In the first 10 minutes, newly acquired Lazio wing back Manuel Lazzari made his presence known right away. The winger crossed the ball through the box to Senad Lulic but the Bosnian’s touch was weak going over the net wide. Moments later Lazzari made another pass, this time to Ciro Immobile but was also denied by Emil Audero.
The game, which was one-sided, finally saw a goal when, in the middle of the field, Luis Alberto lobbed a beautiful pass to Ciro Immobile on the left side, where the Neapolitan finished it with a chip shot over the Sampdoria goalie. The Biancoceleste were finally rewarded for their hard-working effort. Moments after Lazio’s goal, Sampdoria finally had their first chance of the game with Manolo Gabbiadini getting a quality shot on net, outside the box only to be stopped by Thomas Strakosha.
In the second half of the game, Lazio continued their dominance over Sampdoria with Luis Alberto creating another goal this time passing to Joaquin Correa, who beat the defender and scored his first goal of the season.
In the 62nd minute, Ciro Immobile sealed the game scoring his second of the game with a beautiful pass from midfield by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and giving the away side a 3-0 lead. Sampdoria had limited chances in the game but not enough to beat Lazio. In the end, Lazio won a statement game and proved that this year they are serious in contending for a spot for Champions League.
Takeaways of the Match
Manuel Lazzari made his team debut and showed why Simone Inzaghi wanted him on his squad. All night the wing-back was explosive, creative and dynamic creating chances and having scoring chances. He has a presence that Lazio is excited to have.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic displayed the form of how he played in 2017/18. The midfielder was impactful throughout the game creating space, finding his teammates with good passing, and having quality scoring chances on net.
Ciro Immobile is back as he scored two goals. Last year in the second half of the season, Immobile had a hard time finding the back of the net but, in his first game this season, he showed that was not the case. This was a very encouraging start for the striker.
Stand-Out Players of the Game
With Lazzari joining this season, he’s already made his presence felt on the team, with his ability to cross the ball into the box, and setting up his teammates as he did with Ciro Immobile. A player which will be beneficial on the right side of the for Lazio throughout the season.
Ciro Immobile had a great start to the season with two goals. He attacked the Sampdoria defence and created opportunities. He had multiple chances to score, however, starting the season with two goals is an encouraging start for the Biancoceleste.