Lazio booked their spot in the Europa League Round of 32 after getting the better of last season’s Finalists Dnipro 3-1.
Follow all the action as it happens from this game, Basel-Fiorentina and Club Brugge-Napoli on our LIVEBLOG.
Lazio booked their spot in the Europa League Round of 32 after getting the better of last season’s Finalists Dnipro 3-1.
The Biancocelesti would qualify with a point here and were leading the group after three consecutive victories and their last-gasp 1-1 draw in Ukraine. Dnipro lost the Europa League Final last season, but had to do without suspended captain Ruslan Rotan. Stefano Pioli was under huge pressure following poor Serie A form, but could not call upon Keita Balde Diao, Felipe Anderson, Stefan de Vrij, Stefano Mauri or Eddy Onazi.
It took just four minutes for Antonio Candreva to break the deadlock. He ran on to an inspired Marco Parolo through ball and squeezed the finish past the goalkeeper from the tightest of angles.
Ricardo Kishna had penalty appeals for a Danilo challenge, while Miroslav Klose fired over the bar and acrobatic defending stopped Candreva’s cross reaching the German.
Alessandro Matri forced a save out of Dennis Boyko and Bruno Gama hit the side-netting from a tight angle, but the hosts were going deeper and deeper until eventually Dnipro equalised. Mauricio was caught in possession and remained behind appealing for a free kick long after play had continued, Bruno Gama eventually fired in.
However, just three minutes later Lazio had restored their advantage with a stroke of luck, as Marco Parolo’s effort took a huge deflection to beat Boyko at the far top corner.
Candreva’s free kick was charged down, Yevhen Seleznyov’s curler skimmed the woodwork and Senad Lulic fired straight at the defender.
Danilo Cataldi thought he had given Lazio a two-goal cushion at the death, but his wonderful curling free kick was beaten away by Boyko.
With practically the last kick of the game, Lazio did finish the job. A corner found Cataldi and his snapshot took a deflection, falling kindly for Filip Djordjevic to spin round and score from 13 yards.
Not only do Stefano Pioli's men secure qualification, they are also now guaranteed to win the group.
Lazio 3-1 Dnipro
Scorers: Candreva 4 (L), Bruno Gama 65 (D), Parolo 68 (L), Djordjevic 93 (L)
Lazio: Berisha; Konko, Mauricio, Gentiletti, Radu; Parolo, Cataldi, Kishna (Lulic 81); Candreva, Klose (Milinkovic-Savic 66), Matri (Djordjevic 70)
Dnipro: Boyko; Fedetskiy (Shakhov 74), Gueye, Douglas, Leo Matos; Chygrynskiy; Matheus (Anderson Pico 41), Bezus (Zozulya 57), Danilo, Bruno Gama; Seleznyov
Ref: Mazeika (LTU)