Report - Juventus 1 Lazio 1
Saturday 11th November 2000
Juventus goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar followed up his midweek Champions'
League sending off by gifting Marcelo Salas a crucial equaliser as Lazio
earned a draw in the big Serie A clash on Saturday night.
It was the last thing the Dutchman needed after being red-carded during the
defeat by Panathinaikos on Wednesday. That mistake came 10 days after the
keeper made yet another blooper against Udinese in Turin.
The goalkeeper's confidence on Saturday wasn't helped when sections of the
crowd began to boo him, and the former Ajax man now faces a serious test of
character.
Things are not looking good for Juve as a whole, either. Dumped from
European competition during the week, their defensive frailties and lack of
firepower were exposed again in front of increasingly impatient fans. Coach
Carlo Ancelotti certainly has his work cut out.
The second half started with Juve fans jeering several of their own players
and displaying banners demanding Ancelotti's dismissal and Vialli's
appointment as manager.
On a very sandy pitch at the Delle Alpi, Juventus made a bright start,
Zinedine Zidane putting Alessandro del Piero through on three minutes - but
the Italy international was unable to produce a finish.
Zidane then had a go himself after picking up a loose ball on the edge of
the area, but his drive flew just wide of the post. The Frenchman's midfield
partner Edgar Davids tried his luck from similar range but his effort
cleared the bar.
Juve were putting their passes together well and on 20 minutes took a
deserved lead. A swerving Del Piero corner was met by Igor Tudor whose
header flew past Angelo Peruzzi, playing against his old club.
But 10 minutes later the visitors were level when Van der Sar failed to
grasp a weak effort from Salas, the ball slipping underneath him and into
the net.
Juventus were shocked by the equaliser and Lazio began to play with vigour.
Hernan Crespo broke free on the left and squared for Dino Baggio - another
former Juve star - who dragged his shot wide.
Three minutes before the interval Van der Sar at last got his game together
when he pulled off a superb reflex save when the ball had taken a deflection
from a fierce corner and looked goal-bound.
Then Juve skipper Antonio Conte found the unmarked Zidane but the former
World Player of the Year shot straight at Peruzzi.
Seven minutes into second half Juan Veron went close with a free-kick but
Van der Sar managed to scramble it away. The Dutchman then came off his line
to block an effort from Pavel Nedved, but most of the second half was played
in midfield as both sides struggled.
Tudor nearly grabbed his second towards the end when a Zidane cross picked
out the defender, whose powerful strike was blocked by Peruzzi.
Davids tried aagain from distance and this time Peruzzi was beaten but the
ball skimmed over, while Simone Inzaghi couldn't force his shot in from a
narrow angle at the other end.
Lazio had one more chance to grab a vital win, but when the ball fell to
Nedved in a crowded box the Czech star's header drifted wide.
