[D-Kin]

Serie A Week 19 - 14/1/07 (19.30 UK)
Lazio 1 - 1 Siena
Rocchi 60 (L), Cozza 87 (S)
Stadio Olimpico

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Ciccio Cozza marked his comeback from injury with a late equaliser as Siena held Lazio at the Olimpico.

The Biancocelesti were within reach of the Champions League places going into this game and hoped to take advantage of Siena's poor form, as the Tuscans were without a win since October 29. Sebastiano Siviglia was suspended, but Massimo Oddo started despite confirming he wants a January move to Milan.

Alex Manninger rushed out to pluck Goran Pandev's pass off the feet of Tommaso Rocchi after just 20 seconds of play, then plucked an acrobatic Stefano Mauri overhead kick out of the air.

Rocchi was Lazio's most dangerous player and he sprinted through the centre of the Siena defence only to fire straight at Manninger from point-blank range. Rocchi sprung the offside trap and Leandro Rinaudo rushed back for a decisive block, the only thing left between the ball and goalkeeper.

Guillermo Stendardo was replacing the suspended Siviglia, but he too picked up a knock during an early collision with Tomas Locatelli and limped on until just before half-time, when he had to give up and make way for Bonetto.

Luca Antonini hit the back of the net, but it was correctly disallowed for Locatelli's offside position in the build-up.

Massimo Oddo's cross nearly sent Rocchi clear after the break, but Siena went closer with a fine chance. Simone Vergassola's mis-hit shot turned into an assist for Locatelli, but his effort was also wayward and took a deflection off a teammate on its way past the post.

Cristian Ledesma unleashed a rocket, similar to the wonder strike he scored in the Rome derby earlier this season, that whistled just wide of the far post.

Lazio were short on ideas and threw on Stephen Makinwa for Pandev and the deadlock was finally broken on the hour mark. One of Oddo's trademark free kicks reached Rocchi's glancing header that took a deflection off Valerio Bertotto to loop beyond Manninger's reach.

Mario Frick saw Angelo Peruzzi off his line, but the lob wasn't accurate enough to equalise.

Makinwa sprung the offside trap on Cribari's long pass and Manninger rushed out to clear with his feet.

A series of deflections caused chaos in the Biancocelesti area on Vergassola's cross, but Peruzzi bravely closed down Frick from a couple of yards.

Siena had a great chance on 74 minutes when substitute Ciccio Cozza floated a ball to the back post where Cribari was left stranded and Rinaudo nodded over from close range.

Ex-Lazio stars Paolo Negro and Enrico Chiesa came on for the final push, but the Biancocelesti nearly put the game beyond doubt with their own substitutes. Makinwa gathered on the halfway line and charged forward to roll across the face of goal, where Christian Manfredini came sliding in, inches away from getting the decisive touch.

Yet Siena equalised in chaotic fashion three minutes from time. An acrobatic Luciano Zauri goalline clearance denied Frick's towering header, but the move continued and Cozza managed to get the final tap-in, landing on Peruzzi's foot on the way.

Cozza recovered from that knock and nearly bagged a second, his shot charged down off Zauri's back. On the resulting corner, Frick thumped the upright from six yards with a simple tap-in set up by Negro.

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Lazio: Peruzzi; Oddo, Cribari, Stendardo (Bonetto 44), Zauri; Mudingayi, Ledesma, Mutarelli; Mauri (Manfredini 76); Rocchi, Pandev (Makinwa 55)

Siena: Manninger; Bertotto, Rinaudo, Portanova, Molinaro; Locatelli (Cozza 64), Codrea, Vergassola, Antonini; Corvia (Chiesa 75), Frick

Ref: Gava

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