Mattia Zaccagni was the star of the show with a brace after a very soft Ciro Immobile penalty, as Lazio swept Bologna aside 3-0.
The Biancocelesti had a mixed week, going from a 3-0 win away to Fiorentina in Serie A to a 4-0 Coppa Italia mauling by Milan. Ciro Immobile was able to start despite an ankle knock, with only Francesco Acerbi out of action. Bologna had Lorenzo De Silvestri suspended, with Federico Santander and Nico Dominguez injured.
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Patric’s shot was charged down after a corner, then Lazio were awarded a fairly soft penalty as Adama Soumaoro flailed an arm into Mattia Zaccagni’s face. The defender seemed to be in control of the ball and moving away from goal, so it was an entirely unnecessary gesture. Immobile converted low into the near bottom corner, despite Lukasz Skorupski getting his fingertips close to it.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s daisy-cutter was pushed round the post, while Skorupski was alert to prevent Immobile intercepting a poor Mitchell Dijks back-pass.
Riccardo Orsolini’s header was weak, while Dijks couldn’t keep his shot under control sliding in at the back post.
Bologna had a huge chance within a minute of the restart, substitute Denso Kasius bursting down the right to roll across for a Marko Arnautovic back-heel flick, forcing the save from six yards.
Immobile blasted over after some frenetic defending, then Mattias Svanberg drilled just wide from a Musa Barrow pull-back.
However, just as Bologna were pushing hard, Lazio doubled their lead. Zaccagni ran onto Luis Alberto’s defence-splitting pass and invited Skorupski to rush out before nutmegging the goalkeeper.
Skorupski did better on Immobile after a quick give-and-go, but Lazio added a third when Manuel Lazzari rolled across from the right for Zaccagni to tap in and complete his brace.
Barrow drilled just wide and Immobile hit the side-netting from a tricky angle. Lazio ended the game with 10 men, as Lazzari was stretchered off 10 minutes from time after all the substitutions had been completed.
Lazio 3-0 Bologna
Immobile pen 13 (L), Zaccagni 53, 63 (L)