Sunday’s lunchtime kick-off in Sicily certainly threatened to be the most entertaining game on the peninsula even on a weekend in which AC Milan hosted Juventus. Lazio, looking for their fifth consecutive Serie A win, started the match a point clear at the top, but it was the meeting of two outstanding talents - Palermo’s Javier Pastore and Lazio’s Hernanes - that whetted the collective appetite before the game.
It was an entertaining clash, albeit one lacking in goals and penalty area incident. Palermo looked most threatening in attack but were devoid of incisiveness for the most part. Lazio battled to keep their lead throughout the second half and can thank their goalkeeper for a hero’s performance in the last 15 minutes.
The home side were given a chance within 35 seconds of the kick-off thanks to a terrible error on the edge of the box by Giuseppe Biava. Pastore was played in and should have done better with the shot. The Rosanero easily had the better of the opening exchanges, with Pastore and Antonio Nocerino looking dangerous and Federico Balzaretti raiding down the left flank from full back.
20 minutes in, Lazio seemed to wake up and turn the match into an end-to-end affair. Decent chances were few and far between for much of the first half, with the majority of efforts coming from distance until Lazio began to get some joy going forward. For Palermo, Josip Ilicic sprung the Lazio defence more than once but his colleagues were unable to find him with their through balls.
In the 27th minute Lazio opened the scoring in thunderous fashion. Cristian Ledesma swung a free kick in from a wide position and Brazilian defender Andre Dias flashed a superb volley past Salvatore Sirigu into the top corner. It wasn’t exactly a goal against the run of play, but Lazio had only really been exercising any influence for ten minutes before taking the lead.
Balzaretti tested Fernando Muslera after half an hour, and the Uruguayan goalkeeper almost gifted Palermo an equaliser when he dallied over a clearance and eventually struck it right into the boots of an oncoming Pastore. To his relief, the ricochet span harmlessly over the crossbar.
For the rest of the half it was the defences who were on top, with the passes into the box and efforts on goal predominantly speculative.
Lazio started the second half much brighter than their hosts, and ten minutes in Stefano Mauri should have provided a sterner test for Sirigu after being played through on goal at the end of a counter-attack masterminded by Mauro Zarate. A header by Ezequiel Munoz came close on the hour but Lazio goalkeeper Muslera probably had the effort covered.
Five minutes later the Rosanero had a great chance to equalise. Mauricio Pinilla was underneath a loose ball in the area and his acrobatic effort drew a good reflex save from Muslera, and Pastore’s follow-up was blocked when it looked destined for goal.
Biava, formerly of Palermo, gave his old team an opportunity to get back on level terms. He was sent off for a second silly bookable offence when he took down Pinilla as Palermo broke. With 13 minutes left on the clock, Hernanes was sacrificed to allow Lazio to shore up the new gap in the defence and a Palermo onslaught seemed inevitable.
Minutes later Pinilla was nailed by Muslera as he came out to claim a high ball and was laughably subjected to a barrage of abuse by Stephan Lichtsteiner. The Swiss right back’s behaviour angered Balzaretti and both men were booked for their part in an ugly flashpoint ten minutes from time.
As expected, Palermo picked up the pace with substitute Massimo Maccarone and Mattia Cassani carving out chances on goal with time running out. With five minutes left, Pinilla’s shot from ten yards was deflected away from a corner. The Chilean pulled another save from Muslera from the corner, and Cassani did the same from the ensuing set piece. The Lazio goalkeeper was single-handedly responsible for keeping his side in front in the last few minutes.
Lazio go four points clear of Inter at the top of the table thanks to a hard-fought victory in Sicily in which their flair players were a secondary influence. Edy Reja’s team seem to be developing a winning instinct even when not at their best. We all know what that’s supposed to mean.