Lazio took a while to break Genoa down, but eventually ran out 3-1 winners with Pedro, then Luis Alberto assists for Francesco Acerbi and Mattia Zaccagni.
Ciro Immobile was out with a stomach bug, so Felipe Anderson was used as a False 9, while Sergej Milinkovic-Savic returned from suspension. Andriy Shevchenko’s Genoa had Mattia Destro back in the starting XI, but ex-Lazio players Felipe Caicedo and Mohamed Fares were injured along with Nicolò Rovella and Nikola Maksimovic.
Pedro spun round with a looping finish that had to be palmed out from under the bar by Salvatore Sirigu in the opening minutes, then the Spaniard saw another curler charged down by Zinho Vanheusden.
Mattia Zaccagni couldn’t get on the end of Elseid Hysaj’s cross at the back post and it took an error to break the deadlock.
Felipe Anderson robbed Vasquez in the final third on a poor Paolo Ghilgione back-pass, burst into the box and pulled back for Pedro to sweep home from 12 yards.
Goran Pandev scuffed his finish straight at Thomas Strakosha and Stefan Radu stung Sirigu’s gloves from the edge of the box.
Lazio finally doubled their lead with Francesco Acerbi’s glancing header at the near post on a Luis Alberto corner.
That opened up the floodgates, Zaccagni sprinting onto a Luis Alberto volleyed pass from just inside the Genoa half, easily out-sprinting Stefano Sabelli to score.
Genoa did get a consolation late on, Andrea Cambiaso rolling across from the left for substitute Filippo Melegoni, fresh off the bench to control and score from 12 yards. This was only the Grifone’s second goal in five Serie A games under Shevchenko.
Lazio 3-1 Genoa
Pedro 36 (L), Acerbi 75 (L), Zaccagni 81 (L), Melegoni 86 (G)