Lazio-Sampdoria 1-0: a spell by Luis Alberto launches the biancocelesti into fourth place

ROME – They call him Magician, Luis Alberto, because when you least expect it he comes up with the play that solves a game that seems cursed, nailed to 0-0. It happens in the 40th minute of the second half, with Lazio – among the worst seasonal performances – increasingly anxious and Sampdoria increasingly sure of taking away a little point – deserved for their generosity, tenacity, the desire not to give up despite the penultimate place in the standings – from the Olimpico: Felipe Anderson throws a dead ball into the area, a wrong touch by Nuytinck brings it back to life and from 20 meters Luis Alberto invents a right-footed spin that ends his run under the top corner. A stroke of genius, indeed. The Olimpico explodes and Lazio take away the three points they needed to grab their second consecutive victory in the league, climb just two points off third place and spend at least one night above Roma in the Champions League area. All this despite the bad evening of Milinkovic – 28 years old today – and above all of Immobile, who wasted three sensational goals: in Serie A the Lazio captain has not scored at the Olimpico since 11 September 2022, against Verona . From the away sector, insults and threats from Sampdoria fans against former president Ferrero, who was sitting in the grandstand. Difficult for the blucerchiati, 2 points in the last 8 days, to avoid relegation, even if the spirit shown at the Olimpico is applause.

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In the first half, Lazio plays into Samp’s game because they are almost never able to give rhythm to the maneuver, so Stankovic’s 3-5-2, one of the protagonists of the second Biancoceleste championship, manages to contain the attacks of Sarri’s team without too many problems . In any case, he creates a couple of sensational occasions, but Immobile fails to score practically into an empty net in the 21st minute and then in the 40th minute, after a post from Pedro. As against Atalanta, the opportunities wasted in the first half by the centre-forward were incredible: in the first, on Milinkovic’s header, he slipped a few steps from the fateful line and the ball, hit by Immobile with his right foot, ended up on the attacker’s arm otherwise he probably would have ended up on goal, given that Audero was out of action. But be careful: Sampdoria also wasted a crazy goal, on the 29th minute on the counterattack with Cuisance freed by Gabbiadini. Marusic’s last minute save on the midfielder’s excited left foot was decisive.

Lazio imprecise and very nervous, with Luis Alberto in stretcher mode – coincidentally the Nerazzurri were facing Sampdoria – in scolding his teammates for the passes made late. Milinkovic in particular was tarnished, returning from two matches absent due to an intestinal virus, while Pedro and Felipe Anderson tried to finish a couple of times in vain. Sarri deployed Lazzari to speed up the action, but the only time he got to the back, the winger missed Immobile’s cross. Lazio protested for a hold by Zanoli on Pedro on the edge of the area: the Var did not recall the uncertain referee Colombo, the doubt about the possible penalty remains.

At the start of the second half, Sampdoria became more insidious and in the first quarter of an hour they shot dangerously twice with Gabbiadini and once with Lammers heading. But in the 15th minute Immobile wastes the third chance to break the deadlock: high left foot from two steps on a nice percussion by Marusic. Zaccagni had just entered in place of Pedro and Vecino for Cataldi. Anderson tries on 29′ from the edge, great dive by Audero. Finally, in the 35th minute of the second half, the magic of Luis Alberto gave Lazio the three hardest points of the season.

Lazio (4-3-3) – Provedel 6.5 – Lazzari 5.5 (40′ st Hysaj sv), Casale 6, Patric 6.5, Marusic 7 – Milinkovic 4.5 (40′ st Basic sv), Cataldi 5 (12′ st Vecino 5.5), Luis Alberto 7 – Felipe Anderson 6, Immobile 4.5, Pedro 5.5 (12′ st Zaccagni 6). Herds: Sarri 6.5
Sampdoria (3-5-2) – Audero 6 – Zanoli 5, Nuytinck 4.5, Amione 6 – Leris 6.5, Cuisance 5.5 (27′ st Ilkhan 6), Winks 6.5, Rincon 6.5, Augello 6 – Lammers 5.5, Gabbiadini 6.5 (27′ st Jesé 5). Herds: Stankovic 6.
Referee: Columbus 5.
Net: 35′ St Luis Alberto.
Note: Leris, Rincon, Vecino, Casale booked; around 35,000 spectators.