Lazio 0 Chelsea 4

Last updated : 05 November 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Brilliant Chelsea completed the double against Italian giants Lazio as they thrashed the Serie A side 4-0 in Rome.

Having come from behind to win the corresponding game at Stamford Bridge 2-1, Claudio Ranieri's side cemented their place at the top of Group G by thrashing Lazio in the Olympic Stadium.

Chelsea deservedly took the lead in the 15th minute thanks to a goal by former Lazio star Hernan Crespo.

The Argentinian international was in the right place at the right time as Matteo Sereni punched Juan Veron's fantastic cross straight at him and the ball rebounded into the back of the net.

Lazio struggled to impose themselves on the game and Chelsea almost doubled their lead in the 27th minute when Sereni did well to keep out Crespo's snap-shot.

Lazio's frustration was summed up in the 35th minute when Sinisa Mihajlovic appeared to spit in Adrian Mutu's face but the referee missed the incident.

However, Lazio almost equalised seven minutes before the break when John Terry headed clear just as Bernado Corradi was about to shoot.

Dejan Stankovic then fired just wide as Lazio finally began to create some chances of their own but in first-half stoppage time Chelsea almost scored a second when Sereni did brilliantly to keep out Crespo's shot after great work by Mutu.

Lazio started the second half strongly and Carlo Cudicini was forced to make an acrobatic double save from Stankovic and Corradi in the 47th minute.

Mihajlovic, who had been lucky to stay on the pitch after his first-half antics, scythed Damien Duff down twice in quick succession and was promptly sent off in the 52nd minute to leave the Rome giants with ten men.

However, Lazio continued to press and Cudicini had to be at his best to tip a thunderbolt from Corradi over the bar.

After that near miss Chelsea took control in the last 20 minutes as Lazio capitulated.

In the 70th minute Frank Lampard's shot was only parried by Sereni and substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen, who had only replaced Crespo three minutes earlier, was on hand to slot home the rebound.

Five minutes later Duff scored an outstanding individual goal when he beat three defenders before lashing an unstoppable shot past Sereni.

Chelsea added a fourth goal in the 80th minute when Lampard slotted the ball home after Gudjohnsen's fierce shot had been saved by Sereni to seal a famous victory for the visitors.

Glen Johnson was dismissed in stoppage time for a second bookable offence but his red card could do little to take the gloss off a brilliant Chelsea display.

Watching in the stands was Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola. He made the trip up from Cagliari and, after the game, John Terry brought him out onto the pitch to receive a standing ovation from the travelling support. What a legend!