Lazio 1-1 Fiorentina: Keirrison's Late Goal Salvages Point For Viola

Posted Sunday, February 28, 2010 by Goal.com

Both teams earned a point in a gritty affair at the Stadio Olimpico.

Contrasto tra Matuzalem e Montolivo durante Lazio-Fiorentina

Lazio missed an excellent opportunity to distance themselves from the relegation zone as they gave up an injury-time equalizer to Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico. An early goal from central defender Sebastiano Siviglia was offset by a Keirrison strike in the late going as both teams shared the spoils.

Referee Andrea Romeo got the proceedings underway in the Eternal City and Lazio wasted no time in creating the first chance of the match. Tommaso Rocchi took the opening kickoff straight into Fiorentina’s penalty area and cut the ball back to Matuzalem who unleashed a low drive that forced Sebastian Frey into making a diving save.

The Biancocelesti were buzzing around the Viola’s penalty area and were rewarded in the sixth minute when Sebastiano Siviglia flicked Cristian Ledesma’s corner up and over Frey to give the home side a dream start.

The Lazio midfielders closed down Fiorentina time and time again as the first half wore on and the Viola struggled to create any decent scoring opportunities.

Serbian starlet Adem Ljajic created some space for himself in the 25th minute and found Marco Marchionni inside of the area but his weak shot failed to trouble Lazio goalkeeper Tomasso Berni.

Cesare Prandelli was pleading with this team to push forward and Ljajic found Marco Donadel in stride but the midfield hardman’s 20-yard drive failed to hit the target.

The Aquilotti then had a glorious opportunity to double their lead one-minute before the half-time whistle. Sergio Floccari threaded a pass through to Stefano Mauri who had beaten the offside trap but he could not power the ball past an onrushing Frey.

Prandelli introduced Brazilian striker Keirrison into the mix to start the second half in the hope that the Barcelona-owned youngster could inject some much needed creativity into the side.

Lorenzo De Silvestri almost came back to haunt his old team in the 63rd minute as his close range header was parried away by Berni and Matuzalem was on hand to block the Fiorentina defender’s follow up effort.

The Viola were starting to believe that an equalizer was on the horizon and it almost came via Stevan Jovetic who unleashed a drive that Berni tipped over the crossbar.

The visitors kept on coming and Kroldrup went close just moments later when he pounced on a loose ball from Marchionni’s corner but Siviglia took the sting out of his close range shot and Berni made the save.

Time was running out for the Viola as they searched for an equalizer and Edy Reja’s showed his frustration when he was sent off in the 87th minute for protesting a little too vehemently for the referee’s liking.

Fiorentina’s persistence finally paid off when Massimo Gobbi’s cross fell to Jovetic who tapped the ball to Keirrison and the Brazilian’s side-footed effort flew past Berni to silence the Olimpico.