Lecce 2-4 Lazio - Lazio win in vain - 7M sport

Lecce 2-4 Lazio - Lazio win in vain



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Posted Sunday, May 22, 2011 by PA

Lecce 2-4 Lazio - Lazio win in vain

Lazio beat 10-man Lecce 4-2 on Sunday night but their efforts were in vain as they were denied the fourth and final Champions League spot by Udinese's draw against AC Milan.

Needing to win and hope Udinese lost, Lazio never trailed against a defiant Lecce at the Via del Mare.

Lecce's Manuel Coppola cancelled out Tommaso Rocchi's opener before Mauro Zarate restored the Roman club's advantage in the 35th minute.

Ignacio Piatti brought Lecce back on level terms before the interval.

Zarate put the visitors ahead early in the second half from the penalty spot after Lecce goalkeeper Massimiliano Benassi had fouled Rocchi inside the area.

Benassi was shown a red card, too, leaving his team to play with 10 men from the 52nd minute.

Lazio extended their lead thanks to an own goal from Giuseppe Vives shortly after the hour mark as they cruised to a win that ultimately did not matter because of events in Udine.

The result means Lazio finished level on 66 points with Udinese but it is the latter that will play in Europe's elite club competition after having a better head-to-head record over the campaign with the Romans.

Lecce, meanwhile, end the campaign in 17th place, the last position of safety with 41 points from 38 games.

The visitors started strongly and went ahead in the sixth minute.

A fast counter-attack from Lazio saw Rocchi race inside the area and fire towards the bottom right corner where Benassi could not reach.

Lecce showed more determination and got their first equaliser in the 32nd minute.

Vives fed Coppola inside the area and his right-footed strike beat Lazio goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.

Rocchi then served Zarate in the heart of the area and the Argentinian forward struck the ball past Benassi and into the back of the net.

The hosts equalised again in the 41st minute when Piatti drove the ball in from 13 yards.

Lecce suffered their double blow soon after the restart.

Benassi brought down Rocchi inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot before giving the keeper his marching orders.

Mauro Zarate coolly struck the spot-kick towards the top left corner to beat substitute goalkeeper Antonio Rosati.

Lazio made it 4-2 in the 62nd minute after Vives deflected the ball into his own net from Zarate's corner kick.

Lecce, following the sending-off, struggled to put a good move together the rest of the way.



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