Champions League Liveblog: Lazio v Real Madrid

By: Steve | October 3rd, 2007

Hala Madrid! Matchday 2 of this year’s Champions League group phase is upon us, and Real Madrid travel to Rome to take on Lazio. As Corey wrote in his preview of the match, Lazio are a weakened side, who will likely be missing top striker Tommaso Rocchi.

Lazio have not started this season very well, taking only 7 points from 6 matches, after last year’s surprising Serie A campaign which saw them finish third after suffering a mere 3 point deduction from the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal. Los Merengues should be targeting all 3 points from this match to vault ahead in Group C, but Schuster will probably play it conservatively considering their current form.

I expect Los Blancos to start Casillas, Salgado, Ramos, Cannavaro, Heinze, Diarra, Guti, Sneijder, Robben, Raul and van Nistelrooy, with specific instructions to Sneijder and Robben to play more defense. Recent starters Robinho and Torres are out, as are Pepe, Metzelder and the unwanted Roberto Soldado.

Due to the glut of British teams playing tonight, Real’s match will likely only be available through Match Choice on Sky Sports Xtra. Coverage starts pretty early, at 7:30pm GMT (2:30pm EDT), so hopefully I’ll be back home to start the liveblog on time. Check you folks later.

PREGAME: well, looks like my predicted lineup was accurate except for Salgado, who starts on the bench for Marcelo. Heinze actually plays in the centre of defense, with Ramos and Marcelo out on their normal wings.

PREGAME: I’m not sure if, as Louise suggested in the comments, Sneijder starts on the right and Robben on the left… it could be that Robben goes right as he seemed to start there after coming on in the match against Betis, even though he’s left-footed… we’ll see.

PREGAME: Just as in the Betis match, Guti will be asked to play further back, lingering around the middle of the pitch, to collect the ball from Diarra and make incisive passes to the wings.

PREGAME: As I just said, the Sky commentators indicate that Sneijder starts on the left and Robben on the right. Since Sneijder is ambidextrous with his feet, look for the Dutchmen to cross over numerous times in the match, depending on their markers.

3min: Real starts off with most of the possession… build-up of play is lacking though, maybe in part to the firecracker smoke that still lingers in the stadium.

4min: Cannavaro blocks a kick from Pandev after Lazio start a counter down the right side, and Marcelo is nowhere to be found. Ugh, I have a bad feeling about this…

5min: Ramos covers for either Heinze or Cannavaro and steals the ball away from a threatening Lazio attack, but then just as quickly almost gives it away… free kick given… and nothing. Casillas with the easy catch.

6min: so far, it looks like Madrid are playing the back line a bit further up the pitch than previously, though Heinze is playing almost 5 yards deeper than Cannavaro… I guess he’s the one who will play the offside trap.

7min: Nice turn by Diarra starts a sequence in the Lazio half… free kick by Sneijder…

8min: GOAL!!! Ruud van Nistelrooy sticks a leg out on Sneijder’s free kick and it goes in the back of the net. You have to feel for the defense, there were loads of white shirts in the box waiting for the header… Lazio 0-1 Real Madrid.

11min: Heinze concedes a corner after heading out a looping ball… and it gets played out for another corner.

14min: Replays of the goal show that Cannavaro was THISCLOSE to getting a head on the ball, so maybe that’s why the defender on Ruud didn’t take the ball… to be honest, it looks pretty lucky, cuz Ruud kinda does a half-kick, the sort to settle a long pass, and it goes off his leg into the goal. Well, I’m not complaining… results are results.

15min: Ooh, Rocchi is playing, despite pre-game reports that he would sit out the match.

16min: Wow, the last offside call on Rocchi was barely 5 or so yards from the centre circle. The back four are definitely playing higher up the pitch.

17 min: Ooh… Raul gets the ball knocked away just outside the 6-yard box for a corner… and nothing.

18min: Cannavaro steps in front of Rocchi to steal the ball to start a counterattack… he’s playing pretty well tonight.

22min: Wow, Madrid have blocked at least 4 or 5 shots or hard passes so far. Great anticipation by the defenders.

26min: To the defense’s credit so far, Lazio hasn’t threatened Casillas in goal yet. Any potential play outside the box is getting snuffed out by offside calls or blocked entry passes. I’m scared to be confident in them, but they’re starting to make me believe…

27min: I knew it… just as I wrote that, a series of comical giveaways leads to a Lazio rush, but it again amounts to nothing as Diarra recovers from his mistake and steps in front of the ball… Heinze was also on the scene.

28min: Ooh, a Lazio free kick somehow finds its way to Casillas, who makes a not-so-easy save. Lucky it didn’t take a couple bounces on its way in…

30min: Ohh!!! Pandev skies a 1-on-1 with Casillas after Madrid’s offside trap gets caught… that should’ve been a goal. Madrid escape unscathed, though Lazio are gaining momentum.

32min: Goal! Pandev makes good on another chance after he escapes his marker on the right… It was either Ramos or Cannavaro who should’ve had him. Lazio 1-1 Real Madrid.

35min: Could’ve been that Heinze lost his guy, meaning Cannavaro would’ve gone to cover him, leaving the space open for Pandev…

36min: well, after nominally starting on the right, Robben has again drifted left… except Sneijder is also there too. Who the hell is on the right?

37min: Ooh, Ramos makes a run up the right wing and cuts inside his defender, but his touch on the lobbed ball is off and it sails to the left harmlessly.

38min: Man, same problem as against Betis and Getafe - losing possession of the ball in the midfield. Not sure if that’s solvable without additional personnel…

40min: Robben has been a bit disappointing… hasn’t really been able to get around his marker…

42min: Good possession by Madrid in the Lazio half, getting good spacing, but Lazio is playing a lot of men behind the ball, 7 or maybe 8 in the penalty area.

44min: In comparison to previous matches, Raul has also been a bit absent… Robben does well to play a give-and-go and get a shot on target, though it’s straight at the Lazio keeper.

45min: haha, Lazio try a trick play off the corner, except the little touch and pass back results in an offside call. Madrid don’t play corners with defenders at the posts… interesting.

45+1min: And that’s the half. It’s 1-1, and I think Real is thankful for the break as Lazio have built up momentum in the latter part of the first half.

HALFTIME: I expect Schuster to tell Marcelo to stay back more, Robben to get back on the right side, and Guti and Raul to get in the game more. Well, that’s what I’d be telling them now. I don’t think he’ll make any changes just yet, but I’d expect Baptista, Drenthe and maybe Saviola to see the pitch at some point.

HALFTIME: Lazio have 10 shots, 4 on target, Real have 5 shots, 2 on target… but Real have 56% possession so far…

HALFTIME: Replays of the Lazio goal show that Heinze and Cannavaro were in the right place. Cannavaro had to take Rocchi as Heinze moved left into the path of any potential shot, so Ramos should’ve slid in to take Pandev as the header came in… but credit Pandev with being in the right place at the right time, something we always credit Ruud with having the knack for…

HALFTIME: I take back my Saviola prediction… Higuain could be brought on early, maybe at the hour mark, to bring some balance back to the midfield on the right side.

46min: No changes for either team after halftime.

46min: …and immediately Lazio threaten down the right wing… where the hell is Marcelo? Diarra was caught in no-man’s land, unsure whether to charge out to take the man, or whether to stay back to cover a cross…

47min: Guti hasn’t had any positive impact on the match yet, giving away a ball that Heinze then does well to intercept back…

47min: ooh, Sneijder is lucky not to get a yellow card for his push on a Lazio attacker…

50min: Lazio is playing a very tight defense, challenging very quickly on the pass… very different to what Madrid is used to in La Liga.

51min: Ohh!!! Ruud knees the ball up at the edge of the penalty area and does a volley-cum-bicycle kick, which Ballotta dives to save… to be fair though, it probably would’ve hit the post anyway.

52min: Ohh!!! Casillas absolutely robs a Lazio attacker, after everyone in the stadium, including maybe the attacker himself, thought the pass was offside…

53min: The match is opening up now… Robben dances up the left side, finds Ruud, and his kick bounces off the pitch first before Ballotta snatches it.

56min: Robben is losing the ball a lot, but he’s always going up against 2 defenders… that’s what having his skills does…

57min: Rocchi has Casillas at his mercy and sidefoots it into the netting by the near post. Wow, you kinda feel like maybe, just maybe, this is again Real’s night.

59min: Sneijder gets brought down 35 yards from goal… and his free kick hits the wall. His deadball delivery hasn’t been up to par tonight.

61min: Lazio have had, by far, the better chances of the second half…

62min: GOAL!!! Ruud clinically finishes after the keeper goes to ground… Real plays a swift counterattack and Raul releases the Dutchman with fantastic pass. Lazio 1-2 Real Madrid.

63min: Heinze collects a yellow card, uncalled for as he definitely got ball first. Hard done by, no doubt.

65min: Higuain is warming up… and you just figure that despite Lazio clearly having the better chances, it’s Madrid who leads… what did I say before? Yeah, it’s Madrid’s night.

66min: Rocchi comes off for Makinwa, Behrami off for Scaloni… though Rocchi’s been Lazio’s most dangerous player, it might be his previous injury which is responsible for this early substitution…

67min: Robben has now reappeared on the right… maybe he saw Higuain warming up…

68min: …and Marcelo AGAIN loses the ball. Stop it, man, seriously.

71min: Real is starting to play with much better shape, maintaining the right spacing and playing in the passing lanes…

73min: Cannavaro ill-advisedly clears the ball out to Makinwa on the left flank with no need, as the ball was rolling unthreateningly towards Casillas…

75min: Goal! Pandev brings them level again, as he rifles the ball home from just outside the penalty area, after Sneijder gave the ball away in the midfield. Nothing the defenders nor Casillas could do about that one… Lazio 2-2 Real Madrid.

78min: Lazio’s last substitution… is uncertain. It’s either Mauri or Pandev… no, it’s Mauri off for del Nero. And Real make their first change, Higuain on for Robben, to balance the midfield again, I reckon…

79min: Pandev’s number was up for substitution, but it appears that the Lazio coaches changed their minds after his second goal… so it’s entirely possible that he might’ve been taken off before his goal, with any luck…

81min: Until Pandev’s second equalizer, Real seemed like they were starting to do better to keep the ball, and the numbers bear that out… 58% possession.

82min: Wow, Diarra impresses with a ball over the top to Ruud on the left wing, and Ruud does amazing in holding up the ball against 2 defenders and winning a corner… which again amounts to nothing as it’s headed away.

83min: Saviola comes on for Raul…

86min: Real’s offside trap hasn’t worked since the first 10-15 minutes… they’ve clearly given up too many onside attempts for Lazio…

89min: Real’s last substitution is Drenthe on for Sneijder…

89min: …clearly Schuster is still trying to get maximum points from this match.

90min: Makinwa gets away from Madrid’s back four again with a clever ball from Pandev… but Casillas makes a good save on his low, hard shot.

90min: Ohh! Higuain is brought down in the penalty area, but no call… not sure if there was a foul or not.

92min: Well, it’s interesting to see that both teams are going for the win…

93min: Madrid’s had most of the possession in the extra time…

93min: Ohhh!!! Drenthe’s left-foot volley misses the target completely but it ripples the back netting and it looked like it had gone in to me…

94min: And it’s over, before the end of the 94th minute. Well, you can’t say that Real really deserved to draw, let alone win, and yet you feel that they could’ve pulled it out in the end, somehow. Ah well, a point with 2 away goals is still pretty good.

POSTGAME: Well, it’s a good result for Madrid, having withstood a lot of pressure and loads more chances for Lazio, and come away with a point. Midfield possession, or lack thereof, is once again an issue, but the back four did pretty damn good to cover their mistakes.

POSTGAME: Olympiacos defeat Werder Bremen 3-1 in Bremen, so they’re level with Real with 4 points from 2 matches. Lazio is in third with 2 points from 2 draws, and Bremen stays bottom of the group after 2 losses.

POSTGAME: No postgame analysis from the Sky commentators, with all the British teams tonight, so we’ll have to wing it… Real did well, coming out from the dressing room in both halves of the match, and grabbing the go-ahead goals, but they somehow got lazy and lost focus, and allowed opponents to keep pressure on in the defensive half.

POSTGAME: It might seem disappointing to have only drawn after leading twice during the match, but in all honesty, if it wasn’t for Ruud van Nistelrooy, we surely would’ve lost. It was clearly his individual brilliance which kept us from going under…

POSTGAME: If Karma was anywhere as nice to Madrid as Lady Luck, Los Merengues would’ve won. Instead, we should just be content in the knowledge that Lady Luck is still with the team, taking up residence in Casillas’ goal the past 3-4 matches.

POSTGAME: Ok, individual remarks… Casillas was helpless on Pandev’s goals, and made a couple terrific saves. He should courtmartial the midfield for deserting him. Ramos was very effective on the right, making solid runs, but you might be able to blame him for Pandev’s first goal. Cannavaro and Heinze were solid, just solid all night, especially Heinze who was cleaning up a lot of the mess of the midfield.

POSTGAME: Diarra wasn’t too bad, but Guti was his usual inconsistent self - unfortunately, that meant he was ineffective tonight. Raul was equally invisible for most of the match, though his through-ball did send Ruud in on his second goal. Sneijder was alright, but he’s clearly not the playmaker we need, and Robben wasn’t up to his electric best, though he did draw multiple defenders every time he was on the ball.

POSTGAME: What more needs to be said about Ruud? He’s the man, period. Higuain brought some right-side balance to the midfield again but didn’t distinguish himself. Drenthe didn’t do much, but at least he wasn’t a defensive liability, and Saviola replaced Raul all too well, and was just as invisible.

POSTGAME: Well, we can all look forward to Matchday 3 in 3 weeks time, when the Bernabeu hosts the joint group leaders Olympiacos. In between are 2 Liga matches against Recreativo Huelva and away to Espanyol… they’ll need to sharpen up, because Lady Luck might be around now, but I’m sure she’s not planning on staying forever. Alright, I gotta get up crazy early tomorrow, so I’m out.