Lazio gain consolation win

The Olympic Stadium was practically deserted

Lazio 2-1 Anderlecht

Lazio won the battle of the Group D also-rans as Roberto Baronio's second-half winner lifted them off the bottom of the group at Anderlecht's expense.

Neither team could qualify for the last eight after disappointing starts to their second phase campaigns.

But there was still plenty of pride to play for and it was the Roman side who carried it off.

After a lacklustre start in front of a poor crowd, both sides at least put on a decent display, even if Anderlecht did not really get going until after the interval.

Claudio Lopez celebrates his opener for Lazio

What little initiative was there in the early stages came from Lazio, with Fabrizio Ravanelli having a shot blocked and then finding strike partner Claudio Lopez in a good position only for Spanish referee Juan Antonio Marin to rule the Argentinian forward to be offside.

Lopez, feeling his way back after four months on the sidelines with injury, was determined to make the most of his opportunity.

He forced a double save from Zvonko Milojevic just before the half-hour mark.

With half-time looming, Lazio upped a gear and their Yugoslav midfielder Dejan Stankovic had a shot blocked before defender Paolo Negro missed a chance for a rare goal when he miscontrolled the ball when ideally placed.

Doll leaps over Simone in the Olympic Stadium

But, six minutes before the break, the Roman side took the lead, with Lopez pouncing to open the scoring from a corner.

It looked all over at the interval but in the second half the Belgian side shocked the Olympic Stadium by squaring the match.

Substitute Stoica came up with the vital goal, firing past Luca Marchegiani, who has been standing in in recent games for injured first-choice Lazio goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi.

Anderlecht were suddenly a rejuvenated force and Tomasz Radzinski tested Marchegiani.

But chances were falling at the other end with Ravanelli going close from a freekick.

And after 76 minutes it was Lazio's Baronio who came up with what proved to be the decider, volleying home with the help of a deflection.

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Lazio: Marchegiani, Negro, Lopez, Baronio, Mihajlovic, Pancaro, Pesaresi, Stankovic, Inzaghi, Ravanelli, Colonnese. Subs: Orlandoni, Nedved, Favalli, Domizzi, Luciani, Ruggiu, Berrettoni.

Anderlecht: Milojevic, Ilic, Vanderhaeghe, De Boeck, Goor, Koller, Dheedene, Doll, Radzinski, Hasi, Crasson. Subs: Carlier, Stoica, Van Diemen, Pirard, Dindane, Youla, Ngalula Mbuyi.

Referee: Juan Antonio Fernandez Marin (Madrid)