SS Lazio V Villarreal CF
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Olimpico Stadium, Rome 21/10/2004 21:00:00 (Local Time) UEFA Cup Group E, Matchday 1 S.S. Lazio v Villarreal CF MATCH OFFICIALS Referee Michael Weiner (GER) Assistant Referee Markus Scheibel (GER) Assistant Referee Olaf Blumenstein (GER) Fourth Referee Stefan Trautmann (GER) UEFA Delegate Bernard Carrel (SUI) Referee Observer Muhittin Bosat (TUR) Reporter Francesco Corda (ITA) MATCH BACKGROUND Though Italian and Spanish clubs have met on a regular basis in UEFA club competitions since 1955, it is the first time that both S.S. Lazio and Villarreal CF have met each other. Vast experience A Spanish club provided the opposition for Lazio’s finest achievement, when, coached by Sven-Göran Eriksson, they won the last UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1998/99 with a 2-1 win over RCD Mallorca at Villa Park. This will be the 12th game between Lazio and Spanish clubs in UEFA club competitions and Lazio have four wins, five defeats and two draws from the previous matches. The 2003/04 Coppa Italia winners have made a resolute start to this season’s campaign with two 3-0 wins over Ukrainian club FC Metalurh Donetsk to reach the group stage. Strong impression Villarreal made a strong impression in last season’s UEFA Cup, reaching the semi-finals before losing to the eventual winners Valencia CF 1-0 on aggregate with only a Mista penalty separating the sides. On their way to the latter stages, Villarreal met AS Roma in the fourth round winning 3-2 on aggregate after Sonny Anderson won the tie with a goal in a 2-1 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico. Intertoto success The Spanish club, who are in only their fifth season in La Liga, are another club to prove the value of the UEFA Intertoto Cup. Having reached the semi-final last season via the Intertoto Cup, Villarreal entered again this season, and again qualified. They built on this success with a 5-1 aggregate win over Hammarby in the first round and will look to improve on last season’s semi-final place. DOMESTIC FORMGUIDE S.S. Lazio 18/10: The top seeds in the UEFA Cup, S.S. Lazio play last season's semi-finalists Villarreal CF. The Biancocelesti have not enjoyed much fortune at home this season, and lost again on Sunday, Matteo Brighi scoring the only goal for ten-man AC Chievo Verona to leave Lazio eleventh in Serie A. Fernando Couto limped off with a suspected muscle injury on the hour and is a doubt for Thursday. Definitely missing is goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi, Matteo Sereni will replace the veteran shot-stopper. 07/10: Considering the summer upheaval at S.S. Lazio, their start to the season has been more than creditable. Jaap Stam, Giuseppe Favalli, Stefano Fiore, Claudio López and Bernardo Corradi were all sold, with nine players arriving on transfer deadline day. Nonetheless, new coach Domenico Caso, a former Lazio player with no Serie A coaching experience, has lifted the squad, while veteran Paolo Di Canio, back at the club 14 years after leaving for Juventus FC, is proving a passionate inspiration to his younger team-mates. The Rome side have lost only one of five Serie A games, at home against champions AC Milan, and have taken seven points from three away matches. No surprise then that Ukrainian outfit FC Metalurh Donetsk were ousted 6-0 on aggregate in the UEFA Cup first round. Brazilian winger César is recovering from a thigh problem and should return to action in three weeks. Striker Simone Inzaghi is also sidelined with a muscle injury, and goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi will miss the start of the group stage after a knee operation. Villarreal CF 18/10: It was a tale of two strikers for Villarreal this weekend. Brazilian Sonny Anderson was sold to Al Rayyan of Qatar, while Uruguay's Diego Forlán scored in the 1-1 draw at RCD Mallorca. Unfortunately for coach Manuel Pellegrini, the latter will not be available for Thursday either as he is ineligible. Another worry for Pellegrini is his team's league form, which has yielded one win from seven games. Hopes of an improvement could be hindered by the absences of defender Rodolfo Arruabarrena (hamstring), winger Javier Calleja (knee) and striker Antonio Guayre (leg). 07/10: Having begun the season early by claiming the UEFA Intertoto Cup for the second year running, it has since been a difficult campaign for Villarreal. Villarreal won the Intertoto Cup the hard way, overcoming the likes of FC Spartak Moskva and Hamburger SV before a penalty shoot-out victory against compatriots Club Atlético de Madrid. But they then failed to win any of their first five Primera División fixtures - including a 1-0 defeat by Atlético in late September - before finally beating Real Zaragoza 2-0 last weekend, moving Luis Pellegrini's side up to 12th place. A lengthy injury list has not helped Villarreal's cause, but having comfortably seen off Hammarby in the UEFA Cup first round, the casualty room is gradually emptying. Playmaker Roger García appears to have shaken off a knee complaint, while Javier Calleja and strikers Sonny Anderson and Xisco are back in training. Although defender Juan Manuel Peña picked up a knee injury against Zaragoza, Pelligrini should be able to count on a full squad. PLAYERS PROFILES S.S. Lazio GOALKEEPERS No Name Nat. DOB Profile 1 Angelo Peruzzi ITA 16.02.70 Injury prone…won UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup and 3 Scudetto’s in 9 seasons at Juventus FC…joined S.S. Lazio in 2000 from FC Internazionale Milano...back in squad for UEFA EURO 2004™, won 27 caps...passed 400 Serie A games. 15 Fabrizio Casazza ITA 16.09.70 Signed from UC Sampdoria in summer 2003…played for nine clubs but only 14 Serie A games for Venezia Calcio in 1999-2000. 33 Matteo Sereni ITA 11.02.75 Arrived in 2003 from Brescia Calcio after one season in the Premiership with Ipswich Town FC…played in both legs of 2004 Italian Cup final win v Juventus FC…over 100 Serie A games. DEFENDERS No Name Nat. DoB Profile 5 Sebastiano Siviglia ITA 29.03.73 Joined on loan from Parma FC in summer 2004…previously on loan at US Lecce…one of few to have played for AS Roma and S.S. Lazio. 8 Luciano Zauri ITA 20.01.78 Taken over at left back from Giuseppe Favalli, who spent 12 years with S.S. Lazio…from Atalanta BC youth teams, joined Lazio in 2003…5 caps with Atalanta just after 2002 FIFA World Cup. 22 Massimo Oddo ITA International full-back, played at UEFA EURO 2004™, has 16 caps and played in recent 4-3 win v Belarus in October…joined club in 2002 from Hellas-Verona FC. 23 Paolo Negro ITA 16.04.72 12th consecutive season with the club…joined from Brescia Calcio in 1993…won 1999 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, and 2000 Scudetto…8 caps, and played at UEFA EURO 2000™. 24 Fernando Couto POR 02.08.69 1st Portuguese player to 100 caps…won league titles in Portugal (FC Porto), Spain (FC Barcelona) and Italy (S.S. Lazio)…7th season with club.. won UEFA Cup (Parma FC) and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (Barcelona & Lazio). 25 Anthony Seric CRO 15.01.79 Born at Sydney (Australia)…made name with NHK Hajduk Split…moved to Brescia Calcio, then Parma FC…2nd season on loan at S.S. Lazio…11 caps. MIDFIELDERS No Name Nat. DoB Profile 6 Ousmane Dabo FRA 08.02.77 Signed with Zauri from Atalanta BC in 2003…standby for France at UEFA EURO 2004™…first of 3 caps in 2003 Confederations Cup. 7 Antonio Filippini ITA 03.07.73 Joined with his twin from US Città di Palermo in summer 2004 after helping them win promotion to Serie A…played 5 seasons in A with Brescia Calcio. 10 César BRA 24.10.72 Brazilian winger with fine skills…former coach Roberto Mancini moved him from left back to left wing when he joined in 2001…serious knee injury last season. 14 Emanuele Filippini ITA 03.07.73 Joined with his twin from US Città di Palermo in summer 2004 after helping them win promotion to Serie A…Was at Parma FC for 18 months, the only time he has not played alongside his brother. 16 Giuliano Giannichedda ITA 21.09.74 Joined S.S. Lazio in 2001 from Udinese Calcio with fellow international Stefano Fiore…3 caps for Italy in 1999 when at Udinese…over 230 Serie A games. 20 Fabio Liverani ITA 29.04.76 1st black player to play for Italy when capped v South Africa in April 2001…Serie A debut in 2000 with AC Perugia, moved to S.S. Lazio in 2001. FORWARDS No Name Nat. DoB Profile 9 Paulo Di Canio ITA 09.07.68 Returned to his first club from Charlton Athletic FC in summer 2004…started career with S.S. Lazio 19 years ago and also played for Juventus FC, SSC Napoli, AC Milan, Celtic FC, Sheffield Wednesday FC and West Ham United FC….200 Serie A games. 11 Roberto Muzzi ITA 21.09.71 Joined S.S. Lazio in 2003 after 73 Serie A goals with AS Roma, Cagliari Calcio & Udinese Calcio…goals dried up last season with just one in 22 league games. 18 Tommaso Rocchi ITA 19.09.77 Signed from Empoli FC in summer 2004…had scored 17 Serie A goals in two seasons for a struggling club…can play down either flank. 19 Goran Pandev MKD 27.07.83 Young Macedonian international (4 caps), who was signed from relegated Ancona Calcio in summer 2004…has 3yr contract at S.S.