SS Lazio are heading to the Last-8 round after an adrenaline-pumping first leg of the Europa League tie, as the visitors snatched a last-gasp victory from Viktoria Plzen, even as they were whittled down to nine men. A roller coaster of a match, it featured a disallowed goal, a red card, and a last-minute stunner that left spectators breathless. Pedro formed on the starting line-up again, doing so eight out of nine games in the competition this season.
The match started with a twist when a 10-minute goal from Pavel Sulc of Plzen was disallowed following a meticulous VAR review, which confirmed an offside position. The tides turned in the 18th minute when Lazio struck gold. Pedro’s precisely placed corner kick found Noslin, who deftly headed it towards the far post. Romagnoli was quick on the uptake, diving in to head the ball past an unprepared Martin Jedlicka of Plzen.
As the clock struck the hour mark, Viktoria Plzen managed to claw back into the game. A well-executed freekick from Lukas Kalvach found Rafiu Durosinmi who, amidst a sea of players, managed to head the ball past Provedel, the Lazio goalkeeper, drawing the match level.
The momentum seemed to swing in favour of the home side as Nicolo Rovella of Lazio received his marching orders in the 77th minute, following a VAR-reviewed action. Matters worsened for Lazio when another player, Gigot, was shown a red card in the 93rd minute for a reckless tackle on Cadu.
However, the numerical advantage did not translate into a winning goal for Plzen. On the contrary Lazio, against all odds, managed to find the winning goal with the very last kick of the game. Gustav Isaksen, the man of the moment, showcased his exceptional form by driving a left-foot shot into the far corner, kicking off wild celebrations in the Lazio camp.
The match ended on a high for Lazio, who will return to Rome armed with a valuable one-goal advantage for the decisive second leg, slated to take place at the Stadio Olimpico next Thursday.
- Match stats:
VIKTORIA PLZEN (3-4-2-1): Jedlicka; Dweh, Markovic, Jemelka; Memic (84' Kopic), Cerv (80' Panos), Kalvach, Cadu; Vydra, Sulc; Durosinmi (85' Adu).
LAZIO (4-2-3-1): Provedel; Marusic, Gigot, Romagnoli, Tavares (55' Lazzari); Guendouzi, Rovella; Isaksen, Pedro (62' Vecino), Noslin (62' Tchaona); Dia (82' Patric).
Bookings: Donatas Rumšas (LTU) booked Kalvach (61'), Vecino (62'), Cadu (71'), Cerv (75'), Patric (83'), sending-off Rovella (76') and(90'+3').
Goals: Romagnoli (18'), Durosinmi (53'), Isaksen (90'+8').
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