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Inzaghi gets four as Lazio crack Marseilles
The result moves Lazio into second place in Group D, a point ahead of Feyenoord who have seven points following their 3-1 defeat to Chelsea, and means Marseille cannot now qualify for the quarter-finals. After a home draw and an away defeat against Feyenoord in their last two games, Lazio desperately needed a win to keep alive their European dream and they were back to their explosive best as they thwarted the poorly-organised Marseille defence. Lazio coach Sven Goran Eriksson raised some eyebrows with his decision to leave out Chilean Marcelo Salas for Inzaghi but the younger brother of Juventus striker Filippo repaid his confidence in sensational style. He opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Pavel Nedved put him through and he slipped the ball through the legs of Marseille goalkeeper Stephane Porato. Inzaghi came close to adding a second six minutes later but Porato did well to save his flashing header from a Sergio Conceicao cross. The 24-year-old Inzaghi, signed from Piacenza in the close season, then missed a golden opportunity when Alen Boksic found him with a low cross and he shot softly at Porato from just five metres out. Marseille thought they had pulled level in the 27th minute after a rare attack but Jacques Abardonado's effort was ruled out for offside. The let-off served only to spur Lazio into another wave of attacks and 10 minutes later Inzaghi added the second goal as he collected a Conceicao pass and coolly slotted past Porato. Inzaghi completed his hat-trick a minute later when Porato failed to hold on to a Boksic shot and the ball trickled across to Inzaghi for a simple tap-in. Marseille made a double substitution at half time, bringing on Ibrahima Bakayoko and Richard Martini in a bid to salvage something from the game. The French side pulled one back in the 50th minute when Jerome Leroy rose well to head home a free-kick from Ivan de la Pena. For a brief moment it looked as if Marseille would launch a comeback and Lazio goalkeeper Luca Marchegiani had to be fast of his line to smother a shot from Cyrille Pouget. Two minutes later Lazio were awarded a penalty after Abardonado pulled down Inzaghi inside the area but Porato made an excellent save from Inzaghi's spot kick. Boksic and Dejan Stankovic both went close but then Inzaghi grabbed his and Lazio's fourth as he tapped in a Conceicao cross-shot from close range in the 71st minute. Boksic completed the rout when he headed home a pinpoint cross from the outstanding Conceicao and the Croat could have scored again in injury time but he over-elaborated after dancing into the penalty area.
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