Lazio-Viktoria Plzen 1-1: Sulc scares, but Romagnoli seals passage to the quarter-finals

Rome 13 March 2025 – It was not a performance to remember, but it was enough to secure passage to the next round. Lazio delete the Viktoria Plzen, after the success of the first leg, the draw at the Olimpico arrives, which is enough for the Biancocelesti to obtain the passage to the quarter-finals. The match ends 1-1 and sees the two goals scored in the second half with the advantage of the guests signed by Sulc and the equalising goal scored by Romagnoli, with his third goal in four games. The Lazio in the quarter-finals he will face the Bodo / Glimt, a team that eliminated the reigning champions of Conference LeagueOr l 'Olympiacos.

First half

For the Olympic challenge Baroni in the end he chooses Provedel between the posts, protected by Romagnoli e Patric in the center of the defense, supported by Marusic e Nuno tavares on the lanes. In the median there is Guendouzi and Vecino, while Pedro he is the central attacking midfielder supported by Isaac e Weather in Zaccagni, while surprisingly the first striker is the returning Castilians. From the other side of the barricade confirms in full the impressions of the eve Koubek. Before Jedlicka the three-man defensive line is made up of Dweh, Marković e Jemelka. In the median cerv e Kalvash will dictate the pace at the center, supported by Meme e Cadu on the exteriors. Forward Otter e Sulc to support the single tip Durosinmi.

The match was physical from the start, as demonstrated by the two yellow cards waved in just three minutes by Makkelie: the first for Dweh, the second for Marusic, one on each side. It would be legitimate to expect a Lazio master of the field from the beginning of the match, but the Biancocelesti take a while to get going. They then try to strike coldly at the Viktoria Plzen. Provedel author of a great save after just 5 minutes on the attempted curling shot Sulc, in the 13th minute he becomes an accomplice in the great opportunity of the Czechs. His central pass becomes an assist for Otter, who thanks him and shoots with a sure shot, but his powerful attempt is stopped by the crossbar. The Capitoline team is spared by the mistake of the former Udinese centre forward.

The scare for the woodwork hit by the Czech rossoblù almost wakes up Lazio. In fact, after the quarter of an hour, the Capitoline team takes the field and takes courage. Possession of the ball passes less and less from the feet of the visiting players, while the Lazio team begins to take the measure of the opposing defense. The first real ring of the boys of Baroni arrives in the 21th minute, when Pedro he tries with his left foot, even forcing Jedlicka in his first intervention of the evening. The Capitoline team insists, but they are unable to find the right precision in the final meters. Castilians, Isaac e Weather in Zaccagni They are three thorns in the side and every time they pick up speed they can cause great concern to the Viktoria Plzen, but they fail to create real goal-scoring opportunities.

At the end of the first half, the guests tried to raise the competitive level of the match, also trying to spoil the Roman ball possession. Durosinmi receives the yellow card for a hard tackle on Vecino, but in part the idea of ​​the Czech rossoblù works. The Lazio descents at least slow down in number and also in intensity. Better the Viktoria Plzen in the final rush of the first half, but only on one occasion Provedel must get his gloves dirty: when he blocks the central attempt of cerv from outside the area. So after two minutes of injury time the first half ends, the score still 0-0.

Second half

No changes at half time, the match resumes with the same twenty-two protagonists of the first part of the match. Lazio tries to gain ground and attack in the first minutes of the second half, the goal is to close the match in the first few minutes of the second half, but on the contrary it is the Czechs who find the goal and bring the score back to parity in the double challenge. On the cross from the left Durosinmi makes a bank for the attempt to tow Sulc. A right-footed shot from the Czech Republic national team player and Provedel which only grazes without being able to do anything. Surprisingly, at the Olimpico the lead is Viktoria Plzen for 0-1 in the 52nd minute. 

La Lazio tries to recover after the goal conceded. The Capitoline team raises its center of gravity and begins to collect corner kicks, always well managed by the Czech defense. Baroni he is not satisfied with his boys' performance and tries to give the team more impetus with the additions of Lazzari e Day for Tavares e Castilians. He is warned Vecino for having stopped the Czech restart, before the replacement of the Victoria that sees Bring Take place of Durosinmi.

La Lazio continues to grow and after several occasions rejected in some way more by the Czech defenders than by Jedlicka, they manage to build the equaliser. On corner kick developments, it is once again Romagnoli, with his third goal in four games, showing that the defender has got a taste for it. On the cross of Weather in Zaccagni the Lazio defender takes off. A slight deflection puts the ball very close to the post, where however the rossoblù goalkeeper is unable to reach until he has already crossed the entire goal line. The biancocelesti take back the qualification when the score is 1-1 at the Olimpico when the match has reached the 77th minute of play.

To prepare for the final rush, changes are made on both sides: in the Lazio enter Crazy e Dele Bashiru in place Patric e Pedro. In home Viktoria Plzen instead the time comes for Doski for Cadu, That of Sojka for Otter, a few minutes later the time for the entrances also arrives for Kopic e Panos, to detect two tired Kalvash e Meme. The Capitoline team suffers, forced to defend themselves in the final minutes, under the pressure of the visiting team, who with great determination and drive goes in search of the goal that can be worth extra time, while the Capitoline team struggles to keep the ball when they cross the halfway line. There is a lot of suffering, but in the end the Biancocelesti manage to unite and with a few shivers to do their duty. It was not the best European performance by the Biancocelesti, but in the end the result proves them right. At the final whistle of Makkelie the result is still 1-1 and thanks to the success of the first leg the Biancocelesti have secured the pass to the quarter-finals, eliminating the Czechs. In the next round, they will face Bodo / Glimt.