First league defeat forEmpoliwhich arrived despite a strong performance. D’Aversa’s team, playing at the Olimpico against Lazio, came close to yet another big blow in a start to the season that still remains positive.
The start of the race was a dream, with the goal from Esposito who made great use of a shot from the Provedel-Romagnoli tandem. After the advantage, the most classic of scripts: a wall was erected to protect Vasquez and then unleashed on the counterattacks. The Emploese Maginot Line fell just before the break due to Zaccagni’s header. A tough blow for anyone to digest but not for D’Aversa’s boys who, after taking a risk by conceding a penalty which was then missed by Castellanos, effectively put the match to sleep by conceding little to their rivals. Only a spark can access Lazio and extinguish the blue dreams and it takes the form of Pedro, who overturns the score shortly after entering the field. A draw that was only just missed, which would have been yet another point taken away from a big club by Corsi’s club in these first weeks of the season.
D’Aversa chewed bitterly at the end of the match, not sparing controversy over an refereeing episode: “The regret is that the cross went off after the time had expired. He gave two minutes of injury time, with Gyasi going to beat the lateral foul by running and a penalty was added minute. The cross goes in as time expires, Lazio then won with a shot from the champion because Pedro could only score in that way.”