Inzaghi strikes to save Lazio blushes

Simone Inzaghi scored a minute from time to salvage a 1-1 draw for Serie A leaders Lazio against Lecce at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Saturday.

Simone Tiribocchi had given the visitors a first half lead and Lecce hung on doggedly against an uninspired Lazio until the dying moments.

But for a team who came into the match with four wins from their first five league matches and whose president Claudio Lotito claimed in the build up that the glory years were on their way back, Lazio were hugely disappointing.

Still, Inzaghi claimed it was an important point gained.

“I’m happy for me and for the team because tonight we certainly didn’t deserve to lose,” he said.

“We’ve earned a good point but now it’s already the time to think about the next match because today we really wanted the three points but we didn’t get them.”

New Scudetto scoring star Mauro Zarate had a quiet game and for all their domination, Lazio created few clear cut chances.

As would be expected from the league leaders playing at home, they took control from the off and put the visiting defence under a lot of pressure.

Stefano Mauri came close to turning home a cross at the back post before Cristian Ledesma fired in a free-kick from the left that Francesco Benussi had to tip over the bar on 14 minutes.

But for all Lazio’s possession, pressure and territorial advantage, Lecce held firm and took the lead in simple fashion.

Right-back Tiziano Polenghi advanced down the right and swung over a cross that Simone Tiribocchi met with a firm downward header that bounced up and went in off the underside of the bar.

Tiribocchi came close again on 36 minutes but his shot was blocked by a desperate late challenge from Sebastiano Siviglia.

The hosts were struggling to find any rhythm and despite camping down in Lecce’s half, they were creating very little.

Substitute Aleksandar Kolarov almost restored parity on 66 minutes with a vicious curling free-kick but it clipped the bar and went over.

Pasquale Foggia was then released by another substitute Mourad Meghni but the midfielder finished wildly.

Macedonia striker Goran Pandev had two good chances to equalise but fired the first straight at Benussi and the second wide of the near post.

Then with a minute left, Meghni’s cross found it’s way to Inzaghi three yards out and the veteran forward made no mistake.