Lazio swept Salernitana aside with goals from Ciro Immobile, Pedro and Luis Alberto, but the visitors rattled the woodwork twice.
Technically, both these clubs were still owned by Claudio Lotito, although the rules banning multiple ownership meant he had to put Salernitana in a blind trust awaiting sale following promotion over the summer. Manuel Lazzari was injured for the hosts, while Grigoris Kastanos sat out a ban for the visitors, with Mamadou Coulibaly, Matteo Ruggeri and Leonardo Capezzi also missing the trip.
Norbert Gyomber risked an own goal when sliding in to stop Pedro meeting Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s pass at the back post.
Ciro Immobile received an award before kick-off for becoming Lazio’s all-time top scorer with 160 goals and he got another to break through here. Milinkovic-Savic’s pull-back from the by-line was flicked on by Pedro for an Immobile header from 10 yards.
Pedro added a goal to his assist, turning Gyomber with embarrassing ease to go clear and beat Vid Belec one-on-one.
Milan Djuricic came off the bench at half-time and within 60 seconds had made his mark, a header thumping the crossbar with Pepe Reina beaten on Franck Ribery’s assist.
Salernitana rattled the frame of the goal again with Ribery this time, the angled drive bouncing off the base of the far post.
After riding their luck, Lazio added a third goal with Luis Alberto’s precise snooker shot, chesting down a long ball, then bending it perfectly around defender and goalkeeper to ricochet in off the inside of the far post.
Immobile almost completed his brace on another Pedro assist in the final minutes, the finish bouncign off the base of the far post after a deflection.
Lazio 3-0 Salernitana
Immobile 31 (L), Pedro 36 (L), Luis Alberto 69 (L)