Lazio 2-0 Inter Milan: Uninterested and Uninspired

Fiorentina might be struggling but Inter seems to have no intention of capitalizing on those issues to lock down 4th place. The loss today means that the Tuscan side is only four points back with two matches left, and if the team plays the final games the way they did today there could be some real problems. The away side looked like they were already gone on vacation and never clicked at all in this match.

Honestly I have just as much interest and inspiration to write this match recap as the Inter players had today, so this one is gonna be pretty short.

Lazio started the game off stronger and when Murillo (who had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day) stepped up to challenge Klose (an attempt which failed spectacularly), the German striker got through one-on-one with Handanovic and calmly waited for the keeper to go to ground before chipping him. Besides a Jovetic toe poke all the action occurred in the Inter half with Handanovic needing to keep out efforts from Candreva and Keita. The home side controlled the half and easily kept the Nerazzurri at bay.

The second half continued along the same lines with Lazio owning the tempo of the match and Inter struggling to string a couple of passes together. Despite Mancini making attacking substitutions (Biabiany on for Medel, Eder on for Jovetic, and Palacio on for Nagatomo) the away side were never really able to trouble Marchetti. In the 83rd minute a familiar scenario played out, an opposing attacker (this time Keita) was taken down in the area after some clueless defending (this time Murillo), conceded a penalty and was sent off (this time for a second yellow). Unlike the reverse fixture Candreva didn't need a second attempt and slammed home his penalty kick to hand Lazio a 2-0 win.

I hope I never have to see (or write about) an Inter performance as lifeless as this again.