Serie A | Empoli 0-2 Lazio: Points and injuries for Sarri

Lazio got back on track in this trip to Empoli thanks to determined Matteo Guendouzi and Mattia Zaccagni goals, but lost Ciro Immobile and Luis Alberto to injury.

The Aquile were still smarting from their 2-0 defeat to Inter, with Manuel Lazzari suspended and Alessio Romagnoli injured, but Patric and Gustav Isaksen returned. The hosts were in the drop zone and had a massive absentee list, including Giuseppe Pezzella, Francesco Caputo, Bartosz Bereszynski and Gabriele Guarino.

Lazio took the lead after a prolonged attacking move that saw Luis Alberto and Mattia Zaccagni shots charged down, the Spaniard’s practically off the line by Sebastiano Luperto, until it came to Matteo Guendouzi, who cut inside and fired in from 12 yards with his left foot. It was the Frenchman’s first Serie A goal.

There was bad news though as Ciro Immobile spread the play for Guendouzi, denied by the on-rushing Elia Caprile, and the striker hurt himself during that move. He immediately gestured for the substitution and lay down on the ground.

It got even worse moments later with Luis Alberto also limping off shaking his head with a muscular issue.

There was controversy too, as Patric was booked for pulling back Niccolò Cambiaghi by the shirt just outside the penalty area, with Empoli feeling that deserved a red. On the resulting free kick, Simone Bastoni skimmed the top corner.

Ivan Provedel needed two big saves in 30 seconds, first on the deflected Alberto Grassi effort that was creeping into the far bottom corner, then on the resulting corner denying Daniel Maldini.

Empoli thought they had equalised on 50 minutes when Cambiaghi fired with power and precision from nine yards, but Provedel somehow managed to get a strong hand to it to palm off the line.

Provedel continued his heroics on Daniel Maldini and Jacopo Fazzini efforts, but Lazio doubled their lead when Guendouzi robbed Tommaso Baldanzi in midfield and Mattia Zaccagni needed three attempts to get it into the net, third time lucky from six yards.

Taty Castellanos should’ve made it 3-0 late on when Gustav Isaksen and Pedro combined to lay it on a plate, but he prodded straight at the on-rushing Elia Caprile.

Empoli 0-2 Lazio

Guendouzi 9 (L), Zaccagni 67 (L)