Lazio fought back to lead Dynamo Kiev 2-1 through Ciro Immobile and Felipe Anderson, but a Junior Moraes stunner sealed the 2-2 result.
The second leg in Ukraine is now going to be extremely difficult, especially as Dynamo are unbeaten at home in Europe this season.
Follow all the action as it happens and give your views on the LIVEBLOG.
Lazio fought back to lead Dynamo Kiev 2-1 through Ciro Immobile and Felipe Anderson, but a Junior Moraes stunner sealed the 2-2 result.
The second leg in Ukraine is now going to be extremely difficult, especially as Dynamo are unbeaten at home in Europe this season.
Follow all the action as it happens and give your views on the LIVEBLOG.
The Aquile had lost their last two games, the Coppa Italia semi-final on penalties to Milan and a last-gasp Serie A defeat to Lazio on Saturday. Senad Lulic, Adam Marusic, Martin Caceres and Luiz Felipe were injured, but Felipe Anderson supported Ciro Immobile. Dynamo Kiev missed Georgi Bushchan, Serhiy Sydorchuk and Vladyslav Kalitvintsev, while Dieudonne Mbokani Bezua is not 100 per cent fit.
These sides have met before in the 1999-00 Champions League group stage, when Lazio – featuring Simone Inzaghi upfront – won home and away.
Felipe Anderson skimmed the near top corner from a Dusan Basta assist, then Basta’s volley was accidentally charged down by teammate Alessandro Murgia.
Ciro Immobile was about to tap in Jordan Lukaku’s cross from six yards, but was denied by an acrobatic Mykyta Burda interception.
Felipe Anderson turned Josip Pivaric inside out, eventually forcing the defender into a bookable offence, then his pull-back from the right flank was intercepted before it could reach Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Yet it was Dynamo Kiev who took the lead after the restart with a bizarre goal. Artem Besedin nodded down a cross for Viktor Tsygankov, who was given the time to control the ball, turn and back-heel flick it in the six-yard box.
Under 120 seconds had passed when Lazio equalised, Felipe Anderson’s through ball so perfectly-weighted that Immobile didn’t even have to take a touch, just running on to it for the precise angled drive.
The Biancocelesti turned it around completely within eight minutes, as Felipe Anderson ran on to a Milinkovic-Savic slide-rule pass and kept his cool for the snooker shot into the far bottom corner.
The Brazilian almost added a third, but his shot was deflected for a corner after sprinting through the middle, though Thomas Strakosha had to rush off his line and use his body to block the Pivaric flick off the outside of the boot from point-blank range.
Denys Garmash was booked for shoving Immobile over before a free kick was taken and he’ll be suspended for the second leg.
Junior Moraes came off the bench and added to his impressive Europa League goal tally for the season with an extraordinary strike. He spun round outside the area and in one move swung the boot for a strange, looping finish that flew over Strakosha into the far top corner.
Lazio continued to push and Milinkovic-Savic’s free kick whistled just wide of the upright, Marco Parolo’s glancing header was smothered, while goalkeeper Denys Boyko was booked for time-wasting.
With the very last kick of the game, Immobile ran on to a Felipe Anderson through ball and his chip beat the goalkeeper, but bounced off the far post of an empty net. Immobile and the Lazio fans at the Olimpico howled their frustration.
After the final whistle, Garmash was sent off for dissent and had to be held back by his own goalkeeper from attempting to confront the referee.
Lazio 2-2 Dynamo Kiev
Tsygankov 52 (D), Immobile 54 (L), Felipe Anderson 62 (L), Moraes 79 (D)
Lazio: Strakosha; Wallace (Nani 84), De Vrij, Radu; Basta (Patric 74), Murgia (Parolo 74), Leiva, Milinkovic-Savic, Lukaku; Felipe Anderson; Immobile
Dynamo Kiev: Boyko; Kedziora, Burda, Kadar, Pivaric; Shaparenko (Moraes 67), Buyalskiy; Tsygankov, Garmash, Morozyuk; Besedin
Ref: Kruzliak (SVK)
Sent off: Garmash 96 (D)