Lazio and Atletico Madrid played out a thrilling 1-1 draw in their UEFA Champions League group stage opener. Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel scored a dramatic 95th-minute header to snatch a 1-1 draw for the Italians against Atlético Madrid in their opening UEFA Champions League group stage match at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday.
Match summary:
Atlético Madrid took the lead in the 29th minute through Pablo Barrios, who curled a shot into the top corner from the edge of the box. Lazio had a number of chances to equalize in the second half, but they were unable to find the back of the net until the dying moments of the match.
provedel came up for a corner in the 95th minute, and he headed the ball past Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak to snatch a late draw for the Italians.
Result: Lazio 1-1 Atlético Madrid
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Date: September 19, 2023
Time: 8:00 PM CET
Lineups:
Lazio:
Provedel; Lazzari, Patric, Romagnoli, Marusic; Milinkovic-Savic, Cataldi, Luis Alberto; Felipe Anderson, Immobile, Pedro
Atletico Madrid:
Oblak; Molina, Savic, Gimenez, Reinildo; Llorente, Koke, Kondogbia, Carrasco; Griezmann, Cunha
Match Report:
Atletico Madrid made a bright start to the match, and they took the lead in the 29th minute through Pablo Barrios. The young midfielder picked up the ball on the edge of the box and curled a beautiful shot into the top corner.
Lazio had a few chances to equalize in the first half, but they were unable to find the back of the net. Ciro Immobile had a shot saved by Jan Oblak, and Felipe Anderson also had a chance go wide.
Lazio continued to press in the second half, but Atletico Madrid defended resolutely. The hosts finally got their equalizer in the 95th minute through a dramatic header from goalkeeper Ivan Provedel. Provedel had come up for a corner kick in the dying moments of the game, and he made the most of his chance by heading the ball into the back of the net.
Conclusion:
The 1-1 draw between Lazio and Atletico Madrid was a fair result overall. Both teams had their chances to win the game, but it was Lazio who had the last laugh with a dramatic late equalizer.
Lazio will be disappointed to have conceded a late goal, but they can take some positives from their performance against a strong Atletico Madrid side. The hosts created a number of chances, and they showed good spirit to come back from a goal down.
Atletico Madrid will be disappointed not to have won the game, but they will be pleased with their defensive performance. The visitors kept a clean sheet for most of the match, and they only conceded from a corner kick in the dying moments.
Overall, it was a thrilling match between two evenly matched-teams. The draw leaves both teams with work to do in the group stage, but they will both be confident of qualifying for the knockout stages
