Burnley 0-1 Lazio: Clarets offer encouraging showing despite defeat in final pre-season outing

Matteo Cancellieri’s 75th minute strike on the counter was enough to separate the two sides in a well-contested affair at Turf Moor – a week out from Burnley’s season opener at Tottenham.

But Scott Parker’s side had otherwise been the better team, creating the more clearer-cut chances and limiting their Serie A opponents to very little.

Regardless of the result, Parker will be able to take plenty from the friendly outing - with the Clarets looking comfortable out of possession in their back three system, while also looking fluid with their build-up play.

There were plenty of impressive individual performances too, with Quilindschy Hartman and Jaidon Anthony arguably the pickouts. Hjalmar Ekdal also did well at the centre of the back three, despite clumsily giving away a penalty in the second-half that was saved by Max Weiss.

None of this week’s three signings – Martin Dubravka, Lesley Ugochukwu or Armando Broja – were involved.

Burnley – wearing their new all-black third kit – lined up with a back five, with Oliver Sonne getting the nod at right-wing back, with Connor Roberts still nursing a slight knock.

Kyle Walker, Hjalmar Ekdal and Maxime Esteve made up the back three, with Quilindschy Hartman at left wing-back.

Josh Laurent served his suspension from last week’s dismissal at Stoke City during an Under-21 outing at Gawthorpe this morning, meaning he was free to start alongside Josh Cullen in midfield.

Hannibal played slightly further forward alongside Jaidon Anthony, with Lyle Foster leading the line.

Bashir Humphreys, Zeki Amdouni and Zian Flemming all missed out through injury.

Etienne Green, Jordan Beyer, Hannes Delcroix, Shurandy Sambo, Axel Tuanzebe, Aaron Ramsey, Enock Agyei, Jaydon Banel, Manuel Benson, Darko Churlinov, Mike Tresor and Michael Obafemi were not involved either.

The first shot in anger came from Lazio five minutes in, as Matteo Cacellieri blazed high and wide from long range.

While the visitors were comfortable in possession, Burnley - unsurprisingly given their defensive exploits last season - looked more than comfortable out of possession.

Burnley hit back with a more than presentable opening of their own as Jaidon Anthony saw a shot blocked at the back post following some good build-up play down the right.

The winger, who was looking especially dangerous early on, then had a low shot well saved after cutting in to create space for himself.

The Clarets continued to look the more threatening, as Josh Laurent’s low shot was tipped around the post by Ivan Provedel before the Lazio keeper denied Josh Cullen from close range a minute later, having backtracked to turn Anthony’s cross onto the bar.

Lazio tested Vaclav Hladky with a rare chance when Fisayo Dele-Bashiru looked to lob him from a tight angle following a simple ball over the top, but Hladky composed himself to comfortably claim.

With five minutes remaining until the interval, Burnley created the best chance of the half when Oliver Sonne hit the crossbar with a back-post header after beating the keeper to Anthony’s deep cross.

While Lazio made a string of changes at the interval, Burnley made just one as Max Weiss replaced Vaclav Hladky in goal.

The Clarets continued from where they left off, rattling the woodwork once again as Anthony clipped the top of the crossbar with his side-footed effort from a deep corner.

But Lazio were given a gilt-edged chance to take the lead against the run of play when they were awarded a penalty. Hjalmar Ekdal was the guilty party, clumsily bringing down Boulaye Dia after the Lazio man had got the wrong side of him.

But the Clarets needn’t have worried, as half-time sub Weiss saved well with his legs to deny Mattia Zaccagni’s tame effort down the middle.

While Lazio made another five changes on the hourmark, including the introduction of former Barcelona man Pedro, Burnley kept their starting XI largely together - until the 68th minute anyway when Parker opted to make five changes.

It was the visitor’s turn to be denied by the woodwork as Matteo Cancellieri’s header, which beat Kyle Walker on the post, rebounded off the post following a Lazio corner.

If one side was going to claim a late winner, it looked like it would be Burnley. But that was turned on its head when Cancellieri broke away on the counter to slip the ball past Weiss to break the deadlock with 15 minutes left.

After making numerous changes, and with players like Josh Laurent playing out of position in a back three, the fluidity and intensity of Burnley’s attacks understandably dropped. As a result, the game largely fizzled out with neither side wanting to risk any injuries ahead of the big kick-off.

Saying that, Lazio squandered a couple of late chances in quick succession to add a second, both coming via Valentin Castellanos. First Weiss back pedalled to tip over his header, before his second effort from the resulting corner flew just wide.

TEAMS

Burnley: Hladky (Weiss), Sonne (Bruun Larsen), Walker (Edwards), Ekdal (Worrall), Esteve, Hartman (Pires), Cullen, Laurent, Hannibal, Anthony (Koleosho), Foster (Tchouana)

Sub not used: Barnes

Lazio: Provedel, Rovella, Dele-Bashiru, Guendouzi, Zaccagni, Romagnoli, Tavares, Dia, Cancellieri, Lazzari, Marusic

Subs: Mandas, Furlanetto, Pellegrini, Pedro, Castellanos, Noslin, Hysaj, Nielsen, Basic, Cataldi, Gila, Ruggeri

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