In an adrenaline-pumping first leg of the Europa League Round of 16, Lazio proved to be the masters of the unexpected, snatching a last-gasp victory from Viktoria Plzen, even as they were whittled down to nine men. A roller coaster of a match, it featured a disallowed goal, a red card, and a last-minute stunner that left spectators breathless.
The match started with a twist when a 10-minute goal from Pavel Sulc of Plzen was disallowed following a meticulous VAR review, which confirmed an offside position. The tides turned in the 18th minute when Lazio struck gold. Pedro’s precisely placed corner kick found Noslin, who deftly headed it towards the far post. Romagnoli was quick on the uptake, diving in to head the ball past an unprepared Martin Jedlicka of Plzen. The first half ended with Lazio in the lead, but the drama was far from over.
As the clock struck the hour mark, Viktoria Plzen managed to claw back into the game. A well-executed freekick from Lukas Kalvach found Rafiu Durosinmi who, amidst a sea of players, managed to head the ball past Provedel, the Lazio goalkeeper, drawing the match level.
The momentum seemed to swing in favor of the home side, who dominated the game from thereon, while Lazio’s fortunes took a nosedive. Nicolo Rovella of Lazio received his marching orders in the 77th minute, following a VAR-reviewed incident of violent conduct against Sulc. Matters worsened for Lazio when another player, Gigot, was shown the red card in the 93rd minute for a reckless tackle on Cadu.
However, the numerical advantage did not translate into a winning goal for Plzen. On the contrary, Lazio’s goalkeeper Provedel rose to the occasion, pulling off some stunning late saves. But the real highlight of the match was yet to come.
In a turn of events that can only be described as surreal, Lazio, against all odds, managed to find the winning goal with the very last kick of the game. Gustav Isaksen, the man of the moment, showcased his exceptional form by driving a left-foot shot into the far corner, kicking off wild celebrations in the Lazio camp.
The match ended on a high for Lazio, who will return to Rome armed with a valuable one-goal advantage for the decisive second leg, slated to take place at the Stadio Olimpico next Thursday.
The game saw its fair share of disciplinary actions with yellow cards shown to Kalvach of Viktoria, Vecino, Rovella, and Patric of Lazio, and Cadu and Cerv of Plzen. Red cards were shown to Rovella and Gigot of Lazio.
This pulsating encounter, which first made headlines on The Laziali, served as a stark reminder of the unpredictability of football, and the thrilling possibilities that lie within every match.