Europa League, Lazio overwhelmed by Bodo Glimt: now a feat is needed
The Europa League quarterfinals began decidedly uphill for Lazio. At’Aspmyra Stadion in Bodo, in fact, the biancocelesti were defeated by Bodo Glimt with a peremptory 2-0, after a match dominated far and wide by the Norwegian team, which had several opportunities to make the deficit even heavier.
The first chance was for the hosts in the 6th minute: Berg took advantage of a mistake in Zaccagni’s set-up to serve deep into the box to Hauge, who skipped past Guendouzi and finished toward the goal, finding the providential deflection of Mandas. A few minutes later, the duel between the two was renewed, with the former AC Milan man missing the target from a good position by inches.
Lazio’s response came only in the 38th minute: on the development of a corner, Marusic hit a header finding an excellent response from Haikin.
The second half began with a real cold shower for the Biancocelesti, who went under in the 47th minute: Blomberg rewarded the insertion of Saltnes, who with precision slotted past Mandas. Buoyed by the advantage goal, Bodo Glimt continued to press on the accelerator, and in the 69th minute the doubling also arrived again with Saltnes, who beat the Biancocelesti extreme defender with a precise lob.
The goal was scored in the second half.
Despite the round of changes, the inertia remains on the side of the Norwegians, who also came close to scoring the third goal again with Saltnes, who was denied the joy of a personal hat-trick by a double intervention by Mandas, who partially kept alive his team’s qualification hopes.
Looking ahead to the return match, scheduled in seven days at the Stadio Olimpico, Lazio will need a real feat to overturn the result and continue their path in the Europa League.
