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Lazio crushes Panionios again

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Posted: Thursday March 18, 1999 06:40 PM

Lazio celebrates Ivandela Pena's goal against Panionios. AP

ROME (AP) -- Lazio of Rome rested two-thirds of its regular starting lineup and still coasted to a 3-0 rout over Panionios Athens on Thursday, moving into the Cup Winners Cup semifinals on a 7-0 aggregate.

Czech winger Pavel Nedved, Yugoslavia's Dejan Stankovic and Spain's Ivan De La Pena scored Lazio's goals in a 12-minute outburst late in the game.

"Even all of the players who don't play much did well tonight, especially in the second half," Lazio coach Sven Goran Eriksson said.

Both clubs played as though the match was a mere formality, and the sparse crowd at cavernous Olympic Stadium occasionally jeered with displeasure at the lack of effort.

Lazio never had to worry about making sure its four-goal romp in the first leg two weeks ago would stand up. Panionios, mired in 14th place in the Greek League, rarely put together strings of passes and didn't force Lazio 'keeper Marco Ballotta to make a tough save.

Nedved broke Thursday's deadlock in the 70th minute, jumping to tap De La Pena's left-flank cross past Panionios 'keeper Foto Strakosha. Stankovic made it 2-0 in the 77th, latching on to Attilio Lombardo's through-ball and firing home from about 12 meters, and De La Pena closed the scoring with eight minutes to go off a return pass from Nedved.

Ballotta was among eight reserves who got a rare chance to start a game, as Eriksson rested his stars -- including forwards Marcelo Salas of Chile, Christian Vieri and Roberto Mancini -- with an eye to the Serie A title chase. Lazio, aiming for its first Italian championship since 1974, is in first place with nine games left.

Looking ahead to the next round of the Cup Winners Cup, Eriksson said he hoped to avoid a glamour matchup against England' Chelsea, the defending titlist, in Friday's draw.

"Lazio-Chelsea would be a tight game, certainly, but all the semifinalists are tough," the Swede said.

 

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