Lazio earned a point in their opening UEFA Champions League group stage match of the 2023/24 campaign with Ivan Provedel scoring a header in the 95th minute of the match against Atletico Madrid at Stadio Olimpico.
The 29 year-old Italian goalkeeper rose highest for I Biancocelesti and beat his opposite number, Jan Oblak, to head into a gaping goal in the Italian capital city.
Provedel has become just the fourth goalkeeper in UEFA Champions League history to score a goal, following on from Hans-Jorg Butt, Sinan Bolat and Vincent Enyeama; Butt scoring three penalties in between 2000 and 2009 with all three penalties coming against Juventus, bizarrely.
Provedel has had an excellent time as Lazio’s number one and his presence is reportedly the reason as to why Hugo Lloris opted not to join La Aquile, with manager Maurizio Sarri adamant about Provedel’s place as the first-choice goalkeeper.
Provedel began his professional career with Chievo Verona in 2013 but never played a league game for ‘The Flying Donkeys’. He had loan spells at Pisa, Perugia, Modena and Pro Vercelli before a disappointing three-year stint at Empoli. He became the number goalkeeper at Spezia in 2020 after impressing for Juve Stabia on loan – where he scored a goal in Serie B; before joining Lazio in 2022 and, so far, making 50 appearances for the club.
Lazio went a goal down on the night just before the half-hour mark when Atletico Madrid youngster Pablo Barrios notched an opener. Provedel’s equaliser has made it a relatively positive start to their European campaign.
Domestically Lazio have struggled with just one win, albeit against reigning champions Napoli, in their opening four matches of the Serie A season. Atletico Madrid have collected seven points from their first four games in La Liga.
Elsewhere in Group E, Dutch champions Feyenoord defeated their Scottish counterparts, Celtic, with a 2-0 victory at De Kuip. Goals from Calvin Stengs and Alireza Jahanbakhsh gave Arne Slot’s men an opening match victory as both Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Holm were sent off for The Bhoys mid-way through the second-half.
