Lazio swept through to the Europa League quarter-finals with a dominant performance and 2-0 victory away to Dynamo Kiev.
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Lazio swept through to the Europa League quarter-finals with a dominant performance and 2-0 victory away to Dynamo Kiev.
Follow all the action as it happens from this game and Arsenal-Milan on the LIVEBLOG.
The Biancocelesti were stuttering in recent weeks, going out of the Coppa Italia semi-final against Milan on penalties and sliding down the Serie A table. The first leg ended 2-2 at the Olimpico, so the pressure was on to get a victory in Ukraine, but Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Martin Caceres and Dusan Basta were out injured. The hosts had Denys Garmash suspended following his red card in Rome.
Ciro Immobile had a great chance after eight minutes, as he ran on to a through ball, got around the goalkeeper, but Tamas Kadar flung himself in the way of the finish to prevent a certain goal.
Lazio were dominating early doors and took a deserved lead when Luis Alberto’s corner found Lucas Leiva for a free header from four yards, as his run from deep escaped marking.
Viktor Tsygankov pounced on a misplaced pass, but blasted over the bar, then Luis Alberto tried to curl in directly from the corner flag, forcing Denys Boyko to punch it out from under the bar.
It really should’ve been 2-0 on 38 minutes when Felipe Anderson sprinted to the by-line and pulled back for Immobile, who somehow managed to kick it on to his own shin from six yards, sending the ricochet wide.
Felipe Anderson again sent Immobile clear and this time the finish was good, off the outside of the boot, but Boyko stuck out a foot to parry from point-blank range.
There was huge controversy on the stroke of half-time, as Immobile’s lob was fingertipped away at full stretch by Boyko. Replays show he was inside the penalty area, but his hands and the ball were not – it should’ve been an automatic red card. Simone Inzaghi may well have been regretting his claim that he preferred the Europa League as there was no VAR.
Dynamo Kiev lost Kadar to a hamstring injury and after the restart Artem Besedin’s header whistled just wide from a corner.
Lazio wasted an unbelievable chance on 50 minutes, as a poor clearance fell straight to Patric and he somehow ballooned over the open goal from seven yards.
Luis Alberto’s free kick skimmed the near top corner, then Marco Parolo chipped up a pass only for Immobile’s fresh-air volley.
The Italians were utterly dominant, but continued to waste chances and almost paid for it, as on 72 minutes substitute Mbokani slipped inside the box when trying to pull the trigger and Tsygankov blasted over the bar.
Derlis Gonzalez also fired over after cutting inside past a series of defenders, but Lazio finally got their second goal to settle the nerves.
It was a strike made in defence, as Luiz Felipe flicked on the corner for Stefan de Vrij to stick out a foot and turn in from six yards.
Dynamo Kiev 0-2 Lazio (2-4 agg)
Leiva 22 (L), De Vrij 83 (L)
Dynamo Kiev: Boyko; Kedziora, Burda, Kadar(Shabanov 44), Pivaric; Buyalskiy, Shepeliev; Morozyuk(Gonzalez 57), Moraes, Tsygankov; Besedin (Mbokani 70)
Lazio: Strakosha; Luiz Felipe, De Vrij, Radu; Patric(Marusic 71), Parolo, Leiva, Luis Alberto, Lulic(Lukaku 68); Felipe Anderson; Immobile(Caicedo 82)
Ref: Jesus Gil Manzano (ESP)