Patric sends a shot across the face of goal but the Spaniard just misses the bottom of the far post and instead sends his effort just wide! That shot certainly had the goalkeeper worried, as it was a deceptively accurate effort.
90' +1
The referee has given three extra minutes at the end of the match for stoppages.
85'
F. Caicedo enters the game and replaces C. Immobile.
Ciro Immobile exits the pitch to a standing ovation from the Stadio Olimpico crowd as Felipe Caicedo enters the field to replace him in a like for like substitution.
83'
D. Samassékou gets yellow.
A yellow card is shown to Schlager for what is deemed by the referee to be an intentional handball in midfield.
WHAT A SAVE BY WALKE! Another turnover in midfield leads to yet another Lazio attack. Felipe Anderson sends a cross to the far post where Immobile was waiting all alone, but Walke denies the Italian striker's guided header with a flailing hand from point-blank range. It remains 4-2 Lazio, but only barely.
Diadie Samassekou is also shown a yellow card after protesting the handball decision on Schlager.
82'
H. Wolf enters the game and replaces A. Haidara.
After going two goals behind, Marco Rose makes his second substitution, sending Hannes Wolf in for Amadou Haidara.
76'
C. Immobile has scored a goal for Lazio! Assist by Lucas Leiva.
Immobile may have scored the goal, but all credit should be given to Lucas Leiva who initiated the passage of play by winning the ball in midfield, before turning provider and slipping the ball through to the striker for Lazio's fourth of the match.
CIRO IMMOBILE MAKES IT 4-2! What an absolutely insane five minutes it has been! Lucas Leiva forces a turnover in midfield and immediately turns defence into attack, running at the Salzburg backline before sending a pass across to Immobile who was waiting. The Italian striker only has the goalie to beat from that position and does so in style - sending his shot through the legs of Walke.
74'
Felipe Anderson has scored a goal for Lazio! Assist by S. Milinković-Savić.
Sergej Milinković-Savić's pass allowed Felipe Anderson to receive the ball with space to run, and he will be given the assist.
ANOTHER SUBSTITUTE MAKES AN IMPACT! It's now 3-2 for Lazio as Felipe Anderson, after receiving a pass from Milinkovic-Savic, uses his blistering pace to get by three Salzburg defenders before unleashing a powerful shot that Walke had no chance to save. Just as soon as the away side level the score, Lazio put themselves in front!
71'
T. Minamino has scored a goal for Salzburg! Assist by M. Dabbur.
Moanes Dabour did extremely well getting the ball out of his feet before losing possession to Lazio, and he is awarded an assist for his effort.
IT'S AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT FROM MINAMINO! The Japanese attacker scores with his second touch of the ball! The ball comes into Minamino who passes it through to Dabour. The Israeli striker is immediately crowded in the Lazio penalty area but manages to slip a ball through for Minamino who slots his shot past Strakosha emphatically! 2-2 at the Olimpico!
70'
T. Minamino enters the game and replaces F. Gulbrandsen.
Salzburg make their first substitution of the evening - with Frederik Guldbrandsen making way for attacking player Takumi Minamino.
65'
Patric enters the game and replaces D. Basta.
Felipe Anderson enters the game and replaces Luis Alberto.
Luis Alberto, who was pivotal in Lazio's second goal of the match is taken off by Simone Inzaghi, with Felipe Anderson taking his place.
Dusan Basta also makes his way off the pitch, with Patric on to replace him.
Minute
Description
61'
Milinkovic-Savic dives into a slide tackle inside his own penalty area but wins the ball against Lainer. That was certainly a risky decision but the last-ditch effort was executed brilliantly and leads to a corner kick which is eventually wasted as Lainer runs out of space and puts the ball out for a goal-kick.
58'
Luis Alberto gets free in a central position and has a shot on goal from just outside the penalty area but the execution is weak and Walke can claim the strike easily.
55'
Coach Simone Inzaghi is showing his displeasure for the referee from the sideline, with the manager gesticulating wildly after a foul on Lulic went without a card. Lulic is also called over to have a word with the match official whose performance today has certainly not pleased the home fans.
52'
Lazio have started the second period in the same way they opened the match - attacking with blistering pace and spreading Salzburg far too thin in the middle. Lazio are using their two wide players perfectly; allowing them to get open on the flanks before sending the ball back into the centre. Both goals have followed a similar pattern and it could have been even more had Lazio's finishing been up to standard in the first half.
49'
M. Parolo has scored a goal for Lazio! Assist by Luis Alberto.
Luis Alberto is awarded the assist after his pass found Parolo in acres of space inside the penalty area.
MARCO PAROLO MAKES IT 2-1 LAZIO! More fantastic build-up play from the home side leads to a well-taken finish by the central midfielder. Alberto gets free on the right and passes the ball across the box for Parolo who takes his strike superbly with his back heel! What a technically superb finish from the Italian international!
46'
The referee blows his whistle and Ciro Immobile initiates the second half!
45' +2
M. Parolo gets yellow.
Claims for a Lazio penalty are once again denied by the referee! Luis Alberto finds himself in the box dribbling towards Ramalho who goes into the striker without an apparent attempt to get the ball. The Lazio players are furious as they believe it is clear obstruction - but the referee instead opts to end the first half.
Marco Parolo is shown a yellow card after his protestations over the uncalled penalty are deemed to have continued for too long in the eyes of the Romanian referee.
45'
The referee indicates that there will be two additional minutes for stoppages at the end of the first half.
44'
MILINKOVIC-SAVIC MISSES A SITTER! Lulic turns his marker inside out and sends a great chipped cross to the far post where Milinkovic-Savic is waiting without anyone near him. The Serbian snatches at his header however and sends the opportunity wide of the mark.
42'
Salzburg are slowing down the tempo in the minutes leading up to half-time, with the away side no doubt happy with the result up to this point. Despite not offering much in the way of attacking build-up play, Marco Rose's team can be pleased with an all-important away goal.
39'
An incredible mix-up from Lazio ruins a goal-scoring chance! The ball is played into the penalty area in the direction of both Immobile and Milinkovic-Savic - both of whom go for the ball and end up colliding. Milinkovic-Savic eventually takes the delayed shot but it is blocked for a corner which ends up in the arms of the goalkeeper.
33'
Lazio have a free-kick on the left-hand side which Luis Alberto swings into the penalty area. Immobile is brought down in the box while trying to get a head on the cross but the referee and fourth official - who had a great view of the incident - decides that there was no foul play.
30'
S. Lulić gets yellow.
Penalty goal scored by V. Berisha for Salzburg!
GOAL! The penalty is struck with power and confidence as Valon Berisha sends Strakosha diving the wrong way. It may be against the flow of the match, but it's even at 1-1 in the Stadio Olimpico.
Senad Lulic is also shown a yellow card for his protestation at the awarding of the penalty to Dabour. The match has certainly increased in intensity since the equalising goal.
28'
D. Basta gets yellow.
The referee has awarded a penalty to Salzburg after the arm of Basta appears to have made contact with the face of Dabur in the area which immediately sent the Israeli striker to the floor. Basta is given a yellow card for his infringement and the full-back has gifted the away side a chance to get back into the game!
25'
The free-kick is taken but once again the delivery is not of the required standard and the opportunity amounts to nothing for the away side.
23'
The referee awards a free-kick after Lulic fouls Lainer just outside the penalty box on the right-hand side. This is in a very good position and Salzburg will need to make the most of it with a good in-swinging cross.
22'
Ramalho sends a long searching pass for Dabour who knocks it down but immediately has possession taken from him. The Salzburg strikers are extremely isolated, and Dabour is not receiving anywhere near the level of service he needs to be truly effective.
19'
Basta sends a cross to the other side of the pitch for Lulic, but this time the Lazio captain strays just offside. The left winger is in acres of space, and it seems that Salzburg have not learned from the first goal they conceded, which followed a similar blueprint.
17'
Salzburg are not being allowed a kick in this match. Any time the ball enters the midfield, a swarm of Lazio players are immediately in place to make a stop. Marco Rose's formation is quite a narrow one which does his players no favours, as Lazio's central unit is very adept at winning the ball back.
12'
It has been a fantastic start by Lazio who seem to overwhelm the Salzburg back line anytime they move forward in attack. The five-man midfield is creating chaos in the centre, which is leaving the flanks exposed for the likes of Basta and Lulic - the two who combined for the first goal.
8'
S. Lulić has scored a goal for Lazio! Assist by D. Basta.
LAZIO HAVE OPENED THE SCORING! Captain Senad Lulic gets on the end of a Dusan Basta cross and taps the ball home sending the goalkeeper the other way in the process. Immobile seems to be the intended target, but when the striker overran the pass, Lulic was open at the back post to capitalise. 1-0 Lazio!
The cross which led to Lulic's opener was delivered brilliantly from the right by Dusan Basta who will be credited with the assist.
6'
Alberto is once again involved as he slips the ball through the defence for Immobile who was onside, but the striker’s shot is completely off the mark and ends up in a Salzburg throw-in.
5'
Luis Alberto shows some incredible skill to get past three markers, but his cross is met first by Lainer who clears the ball immediately with his head. That bit of trickery has gotten the crowd going, as the Olimpico is providing some fantastic atmosphere.
3'
Salzburg have started the match ponderously, slowly moving the ball around in an attempt to work an opening. Lazio for their part have been much more positive in the early minutes, pressing high up the pitch and launching the ball upfield for Immobile any chance they get.
1'
Salzburg get the match underway from the kick-off!
Good evening and welcome to our live text commentary of the Europa League quarter-final clash between Lazio and Salzburg from the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Lazio are on a run of five matches unbeaten since a heartbreaking last-minute loss to Juventus one month ago. Ciro Immobile has continued his stunning form this season, netting two goals on the weekend in a 6-2 thrashing of lowly Benevento which brings his domestic tally to 26.
The Biancoceleste sit fifth in the Serie A, a comfortable six points above Milan below them, and only a win away from their Eternal-city rivals Roma in third. Coupled with a Coppa Italia semi-final appearance and their impressive progression to the Europa League quarter-finals, it has been an impressive year for Simone Inzaghi.
Their counterparts today - Salzburg - had an even more incredible Round of 16, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 after both legs. The Austrian side’s victory at the Signal-Iduna-Park showed the strength of the squad currently first by eight points in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Lazio progressed to this stage of European competition after dispatching Dynamo Kyiv 4-2 on aggregate which featured an impressive away win for Lazio in Kiev which is always a difficult place for opposing sides.
Marco Rose has his team in incredible form, with Salzburg on an undefeated streak that has reached 35 matches in all official competitions since a league defeat away to Sturm Graz in late August of 2017.
Israel’s Moanes Dabour has been in fantastic form for his side, having scored six times in the Europa League and a further 17 goals in domestic action. It will truly be a battle of the in-form strikers, as Ciro Immobile also has six to his name in this year's edition of the Europa League.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, the team news has been announced! Let’s begin with the home side.
Lazio Starting XI (3-5-2): Thomas Strakosha; Stefan Radu, Stefan De Vrij, Luiz Felipe; Senad Lulic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Lucas Leiva, Marco Parolo, Dusan Basta; Luis Alberto, Ciro Immobile.
Lazio Substitutes: Patric, Nani, Felipe Anderson, Bastos, Felipe Caicedo, Guido Guerrieri, Alessandro Murgia
Salzburg Starting XI (4-3-1-2): Alexander Walke; Andreas Ulmer, Duje Caleta-Car, Andre Ramalho, Stefan Lainer; Valon Berisha, Diadie Samassekou, Amadou Haidara; Xaver Schlager; Moanes Dabour, Fredrik Gulbrandsen.
Salzburg Substitutes: Cican Stankovic, Jerome Onguene, Hannes Wolf, Takumi Minamino, Christoph Leitgeb, Patrick Farkas, Marin Pongracic.
Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi makes four changes from the side that hammered Benevento 6-2 on Saturday. Bastos is dropped in defence in favour of Stefan Radu which pushes Luiz Felipe to the right side of the back three. In midfield, only Lucas Leiva and Parolo remain, with Senad Lulic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Dusan Basta replacing Patric, Felipe Anderson and Adam Marusic respectively. Luis Alberto vacates the central midfield role he took up last match to play alongside striker Ciro Immobile, which allows Milinkovic-Savic to play in his typical position on the left of Lucas Leiva.
Marco Rose chooses to set up in a 4-3-1-2 today which is typical of the German manager. There is only one personnel switch from the side that beat Wolfsberger comfortably last weekend, with Xaver Schlager taking up the role of attacking midfielder, which means Takumi Minamino drops to the bench.
HALF-TIME: Lazio 1-1 Salzburg.
In a half where the home side have looked much better, it will be the away team that go into the interval happier with the result. An early Senad Lulic opener was cancelled out by a contentious penalty decision, with the spot-kick dispatched effectively by Valon Berisha. Lazio have dominated the attacking play, with Milinkovic-Savic and Immobile missing a host of chances that could have seen the hosts up by several goals.
The Lazio players are also incensed, as they feel they should have been awarded at least one penalty - with Luis Alberto taken down in the penalty area shortly before the end of the first half. That, coupled with the several yellow cards shown to the home side have really turned this contest into a heated clash.
Despite their best efforts, Salzburg seem second-best in almost every area. Their midfield is having no success against the packed Lazio middle and Dabour and Guldbrandsen have been rendered more or less anonymous. Despite the negativity, a draw away from home would suit the Austrian side quite well - with the Biancoceleste having to make the trip to Salzburg in one week.
FULL-TIME: Lazio 4-2 Salzburg.
It was a deserved result for the Biancoceleste who looked much the better side all match and dominated play - reducing Salzburg to limited opportunities from counter-attacks and set-pieces. The two away goals will be a positive for Marco Rose looking towards the second leg which will be played in one-week’s time, but his side will need to play better if they hope of advancing.
An incredible 10-minute span beginning at the 70th sparked a fantastic goal-scoring run where Salzburg equalised at 2-2 before Felipe Anderson and Ciro Immobile gave Lazio the 4-2 lead which they carried with them until the final whistle. Salzburg looked impressive after the entrance of Takumi Minamino who scored the leveller with only his second touch of the game but the home side’s attacking intent - which was apparent all game - proved too much to handle.
For Lazio, the four goals do not tell the full story. Offensively, Lazio were far superior and had a number of chances to increase their lead which they were unable to take. The play of their wide midfielders today was excellent, with Basta and Lulic contributing goals and assists. Luis Alberto and his replacement - Felipe Anderson - both looked at their creative best and a striker with the quality of Ciro Immobile cannot be left open constantly without consequence. Ultimately it was a very good home showing by a Lazio side still in the hunt for Champions League football through domestic means.
That concludes our live coverage of the Europa League fixture between Lazio and Salzburg. We hope you enjoyed following along and we look forward to seeing you all again soon!
Next up for Lazio is a trip to Udinese on Sunday before the return leg of the Europa League quarter-finals in Salzburg. As for the Austrian side, they face LASK Linz away from home before returning to the Red Bull Arena to host Lazio next Thursday.
Commentary
More…