Felipe Caicedo: Derby della Capitale hero proves doubters wrong at Lazio

05 mar 2019

During the summer, there were many calls for Lazio to part ways with Ecuadorian forward Felipe Caicedo and instead opt to sign a younger, more talented model to serve as a 'vice-Immobile'. Laziale, in part, had their wish come true when Joaquin Correa was signed to replace Felipe Anderson but a proper vice-Immobile was missing and, come the start of the season, Lazio were to stick with Felipe Caicedo till at least January.

Caicedo had an interesting start to the 2018/19 season; not doing too well, still attracting criticism, primarily for a lack of movement and build-up play, but, most importantly, hardly required with the full fitness and goalscoring of the club's more prolific forward Ciro Immobile. However, with the new year came a new array of troubles for the Biancocelesti; Ciro Immobile suffering a muscle injury that would leave him rather in-and-out of the side for the opening two months of the year.

Felipe Caicedo scored twice in successive matches last month, against Empoli and Frosinone to secure important but narrow and underwhelming victories for Simone Inzaghi's side in Serie A. After these two goals, Caicedo was finally looking like the vice-Immobile that he should've been but Laziale hearts sank once again when it was revealed Immobile's fitness concerns would mean he would not be starting in the Derby della Capitale against Roma on Saturday evening.

Felipe Caicedo would be starting the game, alongside Argentine attacking-midfielder Joaquin Correa; as well as Luis Alberto and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic providing support from the middle. What at first looked to be a curse revealed itself as a blessing when Felipe Caicedo put Lazio 1-0 up in the opening part of the match. The Ecuadorian took the ball round Roma's Swedish goalkeeper Robin Olsen and converted it nicely, giving Lazio an important early lead.

Lazio ended up emerging 3-0 victors against Roma at the weekend but perhaps one of the biggest talking points is as to whether Caicedo finally is the vice-Immobile the club so duly desire. It can be said that Lazio were a vice-Immobile away from qualifying for this season's UEFA Champions League when Immobile was injured for the final games of last season; perhaps, if history repeats itself, Caicedo can be Lazio's saviour this time round.

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; min-height: 14.0px} span.s1 {text-decoration: underline ; color: #dca10d} span.s2 {text-decoration: underline}

For more news, views and features, visit our homepage.

For more Lazio exclusives, news and features, visit The Laziali!