On May 13 th 2007, Lazio traveled to the San Siro to take on Serie A champions, Inter, who had already wrapped up the league with 8 games remaining in the season. The outcome of the match did not have any implications for the home side, enjoying a twenty-point lead from a second placed AS Roma side. However, the Biancocelesti were in a tight battle for third spot in the standings against Champions League winners, AC Milan.
After a magnificent fourteen match streak without a loss, Lazio’s form leading up to the match took a drastic turn, winning just one match out of the previous four prior to the round thirty-six clash at San Siro. With a series of uninspiring performances, including a 0-0 stalemate in the Rome derby, the Biancocelesti were in need for a change in fortune, fast.
However, it was going to be a tall order with the dominant star-studded Nerazzurri side who had gone on a league record seventeen game winning streak and only lost one game all year. Inter manager Roberto Mancini was without his leading goal scorer and start striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic who was out for the season due to injury.
Hernan Crespo featured in Mancio’s starting line-up as lone striker in a 4-3-2-1 formation with former Real Madrid manager Santiago Solari and Alvaro Recoba behind him. Midfield trio of Vieira, Stankovic and Burdisso. Julio Cesar in goal and defensive line of Maicon, Materazzi, Zanetti, Maxwell.
Delio Rossi’s Lazio lined up in a 4-3-1-2 formation with Tommasso Rocchi and Goran Pandev striking partnership, sharing twenty-five goals between them leading up the clash at San Siro. Luis Jimenez was the trequartista and midfield trio of Valon Behrami, Gaby Mudingayi, Cristian Ladesma. Marco Ballotta in goal and defense of Luciano Zauri, Sebastiano Siviglia, Emilson Cribari and Massimo Mutarelli.
The match could not have started in a worse way for Inter as they conceded two quick goals to Lazio inside first five minutes. First one resulting from Stankovic slipping outside the penalty box, turning the ball over and Pandev’s first time shot took a huge deflection from sliding Materazzi and the ball looped over everyone and behind Julio Cesar to give visitors the early lead.
Lazio added a second goal two minutes later when Pandev’s cross to far post found a late run Mutarelli who headed home an uncontested shot past Cesar. Nerazzurri, left shell shocked by the bizarre nature of the early Goran Pandev goal, failed to react and Lazio took full advantage and took a comfortable 0-2 early lead.
Mancio’s men immediately tried to get back in control of the match by slowing down the pace of the game and controlling the possession to mount a comeback. With the lone striker in the middle of Crespo’s caliber, the idea was straight forward, find a way to get the star striker the ball.
With Lazio clogging up the lanes through the middle, the attack was building from the wingback positions with Maicon and Maxwell sending in crosses from either side. Inter pulled one back after a deflected Vieira shot found the late Maicon run into the box, who send in a cross for an unmarked Crespo. Argentine forward, struck the ball on the volley with his left foot, 1-2 in favor of the visitors.
While the Nerazzurri were trying to draw level, the Biancocelesti were now playing on counter attack with the attacking trio leading the charge. Rocchi came close to adding a third for Lazio, however Inter backline managed to keep him off the scoring sheet. As the game approached half-time, a Vieira played a brilliant pass from inside the box to far left post, placing it only where Crespo could get to unmarked, striking home a volley to draw both teams level 2-2 with ten minutes remaining in the first half. Both teams were hoping to get to half-time on level terms to mount a second half push to secure three points.
However, Ledesma free-kick on the edge of the box, struck off the goal post and went in, giving Lazio a 3-2 lead going into the break. After a disastrous first half defensively, Mancio made adjustments at as second half got underway, replacing Solari with Figo.
Inter dominated possession and kept pressing for a tying goal yet again. Along with Crespo’s aerial presence, Vieira added to the threat by constantly joining the attack inside the box as Maxwell and Maicon sent in crosses inside the box. With the team unable to get another break-through, Mancini rolled the dice and changed to 3-man defense and added another midfielder by bringing on Cambiasso for Maxwell.
Giving his side a mismatch and a man-advantage in the midfield. This did the trick, as the change in tactic, led to confusion in Lazio defense and at eighty-one minute mark, as Burdisso’s cross to far post found Crespo yet again, to score a third goal for Inter and himself, completing the hattrick and drawing teams level 3-3 with nine minutes left in the match.
As an exciting match approached completion, there was a late plot twist as Lazio went down to ten men after center-back Siviglia was sent off soon after the tying goal. With the man advantage in their favor, Inter pressed for the winning goal and didn’t have to wait long as Marco Materazzi scored his ninth goal off the season when he sent a powerful header off a Stankovic corner-kick to put Inter ahead 4-3.
The game finished in favor of the home side as Inter come from behind twice in the same match to secure their twenty-ninth win of the season. Ibrahimovic finishing the season with 15 goals, Crespo finishing one behind him at 14 goals and Marco Materazzi finishing with a phenomenal 10 goals as a center-back. And Inter went on to win a second consecutive Scudetto under Roberto Mancini.
