WhoScored’s usual early week rundown of the weekend’s shock results in Europe’s top five leagues returns after a brief festive hiatus. Lazio started the Serie A New Year in the worst possible way after a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Siena, while over in La Liga, Rayo Vallecano saw off Sevilla 2-1 in a close-fought encounter to edge 3 points clear of the relegation zone.
Lazio Undone by Poor Finishing - Match Centre
Undefeated in their opening seven away games of the season, including draws at both Milan and Napoli, Lazio were considered strong favourites for the trip to Siena. The host side came into the match in dreadful form, having picked up just 2 points in their previous seven league fixtures but opened their account for 2012 in emphatic fashion, brushing aside Edoardo Reja’s men with ease.
Both sides lined up in a 4-4-2 but it was Siena’s forwards who made the difference. Frontmen Mattia Destro and Emanuele Calaio both notched braces, with the latter scoring his 2 goals from the penalty spot. Lazio keeper Albano Bizzarri hardly helped his team’s cause when he received his marching orders in the 45th minute after conceding a spot-kick, but Lazio were already 2-0 down and struggling by then.
Siena again demonstrated the will-to-win that has seen them make more tackles (26) at home than any other side in Serie A. The home side managed 25 in comparison to Lazio’s 18 as they outfought their more illustrious opponents. Full-backs Angelo and Cristiano Del Grosso were the main men here, with 5 and 6 tackles respectively. Alessandro Gazzi played a significant part in central midfield, too; he made more interceptions (6) than anyone on the pitch, in addition to 3 tackles, before being subbed on 67 minutes.
Siena utilised the left flank more than any other area, with 39% of their play coming down this wing. Del Grosso made 2 key passes from left-back, while, just ahead of him in midfield, Franco Brienza provided 3 - more than any other home player. The pair also produced 6 of Siena’s 8 crosses between them.
Despite playing half the match with ten men, Lazio edged the possession, with 52%, and also matched their hosts in terms of attempts on goal, with 15 shots apiece. They can only blame themselves for failing to find the net - 74% of their efforts were inside the Siena box but Lazio managed just 3 on target. Djibril Cissé was the main culprit- the Frenchman had 6 shots, with just 2 on target, though strike partner Miroslav Klose was culpable for other reasons - he managed only 1 shot all game.
For Siena, Destro had 7 shots, with 4 on target, and in addition to his 2 goals, he also made 2 key passes and 5 successful dribbles. Little wonder he picked up the WhoScored man of the match award, with a rating of 9.97 indicative of his superb attacking performance.
Sevilla Fail to Make Possession Pay - Match Centre
With just a single point in their previous five fixtures, Rayo Vallecano were far from favourites as they played host to Sevilla last Sunday. They also had the worst home record in La Liga prior to this game, with just 7 points from their first seven games. The visitors had lost just once on their travels prior to the weekend, though had struggled to chalk up the victories, with only one away win all season.
Vallecano tend to dominate home games, with an average 55.5% possession the sixth best home average in La Liga, but Sevilla were in control with 55% of the play. Playing in the double pivot in a 4-2-3-1, Ivan Rakitic saw more of the ball than any other player, producing 55 passes for the visitors but, despite making an impressive 6 key passes, he failed to pick up an assist through some woeful finishing from his team mates. For the home side, left winger Roberto Trashorras saw most of the ball. He made 44 passes, provided 9 of his side’s 13 crosses and also had more shots (3) than any home player, with 36% of Vallecano’s attacks coming down his flank.
The hosts displayed a remarkable ability to battle though, making an incredible 34 tackles to Sevilla’s 16. Much of their defensive work came down the right side, with right-back Tito making 4 tackles and 7 interceptions, while right winger Piti made 8 tackles and 2 interceptions. This was partly down to Sevilla attacking down that side of the pitch 40% of the time. Javi Fuego also played an instrumental part for Vallecano, with 6 tackles and 6 interceptions in the centre of the field.
Sevilla had more chances, with 17 shots to 11, but similarly to Lazio, they let themselves down with some woeful finishing. They managed a mere 3 shots on target over the course of the game, despite 65% of their efforts coming inside the box. No one managed more attempts than Alvaro Negredo - the lone forward had 3 shots, managed 1 on target and also hit the woodwork. He was just one of a number of away players who failed to take their chances, though; left winger Luna also had 3 efforts - not one of those were on target.
For Vallecano, Raul Tamudo had 2 attempts - both were on target, with one hitting the back of the net, while Michu also picked up a goal. Playing in the hole behind Tamudo, he scored with his only effort on goal and also made 3 key passes, more than any player for the victorious home side as they picked up their first La Liga victory since the first week in November.
