21st of August 2021

Pedro completes Lazio debut with away win (1-3)

Pedro Rodríguez made his full debut with SS Lazio on Saturday two days after signing for the Biancocelesti, and he did with a season opener win over Empoli at the Stadio Castellani (1-3). The Spaniard was thrown straight into Maurizio Sarri’s starting XI and played a good 60-minute performance before being replaced by the also Spanish Young ace Raúl Moro aged 18.

It was a shock start at the Castellani, as within four minutes the hosts had gone in front with a classic counter-attack. Nedim Bajrami got away from midfielders and spread the play for Filippo Bandinelli, who smashed his left-foot finish across Pepe Reina from the edge of the area.

It didn’t last long, as moments later Empoli gave away a cheap corner, from which Pedro and Felipe Anderson combined to hook it back for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s header.

This was a wide-open match and Leonardo Mancuso’s lob was just wide after Reina came flying out to meet him on a smart Petar Stojanovic ball over the top.

However, it was Lazio who turned the game around completely when Milinkovic-Savic’s inspired through ball sent Manuel Lazzari clear to beat the goalkeeper one-on-one.

Guglielmo Vicario was at fault when clattering into Francesco Acerbi, who had pounced on a poor clearance and clearly got the ball first. Immobile stepped up and converted, sending Vicario the wrong way.

The result of the first half kept frozen during the second, as neither of the two squads managed to add to their sheet. Pedro completed a superb display on the right wing and was replaced in the 60th minute by Raúl Moro, a talented Spanish striker aged 18.

On the next matchday, Lazio will play their match against Spezia at home.

 

- Match stats:

Empoli: Guglielmo Vicario, Petar Stojanovic (Fiamozzi 82’), Ardian Ismajli, Simone Romagnoli, Riccardo Marchizza, Samuele Ricci, Nedim Bajrami, Leonardo Mancuso (La Mantia 82’), Nicolas Haas (Zurkowski 76’), Filippo Bandinelli (Henderson 70’), Patrick Cutrone (Crociata 76’).

Lazio: Pepe Reina, Manuel Lazzari, Francesco Acerbi, Luiz Felipe, Elseid Hysaj, Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro (Luis Alberto 45’), Lucas Leiva (Gonzalo Escalante 82’), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Andre Anderson 70’), Felipe Anderson, Ciro Immobile (Vedat Muriqi 82’), Pedro (Raúl Moro 60’).

Bookings: Lucas Leiva (29’), Stojanovic (38’), Ismajli (89’).

Goals: Filippo Bandinelli (1-0, min. 4), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (1-1, min. 6), Manuel Lazzari (1-2, min. 31), Ciro Immobile (1-3, min. 41).



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