In-form Lazio win third Serie A clash in a row against nine-man Cagliari
An in-form Lazio side seized an early advantage in just the second minute when Boulaye Dia reacted swiftly to a rebound from Simone Scuffet’s save off Luca Pellegrini’s free-kick.
This marked Dia’s 24th Serie A goal, taking him past M'Baye Niang as the third-highest Senegalese scorer in the league’s history.
Facing their third consecutive uphill battle after two straight goalless defeats, the visitors struggled while Lazio maintained control, with Taty Castellanos striking the woodwork from distance and Scuffet scrambling to clear the danger.
Davide Nicola’s side found their footing as the half progressed though, eventually rediscovering their scoring touch through Zito Luvumbo.
The Angolan’s powerful low strike from inside the area deflected off Mario Gila, wrongfooting Ivan Provedel and nestling into the bottom left corner, restoring parity at the interval.
The visitors looked to carry their momentum into the second period, but it was Lazio who threatened first via Matias Vecino, whose point-blank effort was brilliantly cleared off the line by Cagliari defender Sebastiano Luperto before Castellanos drove his shot narrowly wide of the post from inside the box.
It didn’t take long for things to go downhill for Cagliari from there, as they conceded a penalty thanks to Nadir Zortea’s rash challenge, with Mattia Zaccagni converting confidently with 15 minutes remaining.
Cagliari therefore needed a second comeback, but their hopes soon evaporated when Yerry Mina and Michel Adopo were both sent off within a minute of each other.
That ensured that Cagliari succumbed to a fifth league loss on the road in eight outings, while Marco Baroni’s Biancocelesti move to within three points of league leaders Napoli with the victory, with the result also marking their fifth straight success at the Stadio Olimpico.
While they are now unbeaten in 11 consecutive home league games, Lazio also extended their unbeaten run in Serie A head-to-heads to 19 matches, leaving the visitors just one point above the relegation zone after 11 rounds.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Luca Pellegrini (Lazio)