Serie A Week 37 – 9/5/10 – Stadio Picchi – Ref: Gava
Strikers: Rocchi 13 (La), Lucarelli 33 (Li), Brocchi 44 (La)
Lazio secure their safety with a comfortable away victory thanks to Tommaso Rocchi and Cristian Brocchi.
The conflicting political ideology of the fanbases makes this a very tense fixture indeed, but this time around it was also between a side that was already relegated and another needing a point to avoid the same fate. Livorno had won only one of their previous 18 games, while Lazio were fresh from a controversial 2-0 home defeat to Inter. In that match, their own fans cheered on the Nerazzurri, thus ruining the Scudetto hopes of rivals Roma.
Mauro Zarate was suspended with Mourad Meghni, Cristian Manfredini, Albano Bizzarri and Francelino Matuzalem sidelined. Livorno’s treatment table was crowded with Leonardo Miglionico, Nelson Rivas, Francesco Tavano, Antonio Filippini, Dario Knezevic, Pablo Diniz, Nico Pulzetti, Pieri and Andrea Esposito.
Lazio took the lead when Tommaso Rocchi went between the defenders to tap in a smart low Aleksandar Kolarov cross from the left flank. The move had been started by Stefano Mauri’s through ball.
The visitors lost Stephan Lichtsteiner to an injury, as he was left dazed by getting his head in the way of a powerful shot.
Livorno equalised with their most representative player, Cristiano Lucarelli. He was marginally offside when shaking off his marker to volley in Cristian Raimondi’s cross from six yards.
Rocchi nearly completed his brace with a strike that clipped the outside of the upright on 36 minutes, while Alfonso De Lucia had to beat away a typically fierce Kolarov free kick.
Lazio restored their advantage just shy of half-time, as Cristian Brocchi hit a powerful low shot from the edge of the box that bounced its way into the near bottom corner.
Neither side did much in the second half, as tiredness set in and Lucarelli limped off with a knee injury.
Claudio Bellucci had the best opportunity to equalise in the final minutes, but fired it straight at Nando Muslera.