Lazio swept sorry Sampdoria aside in the first half with a Ciro Immobile brace, but Sergej Milinkovic-Savic followed his goal with a red card for dissent.
Maurizio Sarri made changes after Thursday’s extraordinary 4-4 draw with Udinese, picking up one point from three rounds, benching Pepe Reina, Luis Alberto and Felipe Anderson, while Patric was suspended and Luiz Felipe returned from his ban. Samp had Omar Colley on the naughty step, with Mikkel Damsgaard, Fabio Depaoli and Ernesto Torregrossa injured.
It took just seven minutes to break the deadlock, as Ciro Immobile shrugged off Alex Ferrari on the edge of the area, Mattia Zaccagni rolled in the slide-rule pass for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to take it first-time with the inside of the left boot at the far post.
Lazio doubled their lead, Zaccagni involved again as he dribbled between two and went down on the edge of the box, but Immobile pounced on the loose ball to sweep home from 12 yards.
Emil Audero had to make the save on an Immobile free header from Zaccagni’s cross, but could do nothing when Julian Chabot allowed Immobile to turn on a Milinkovic-Savic through ball and smash the angled drive across him.
Samp were jeered off at half-time by their own fans and made three changes, sparking a slight reaction with Morten Thorsby’s angled drive beaten away by Thomas Strakosha’s legs, then on the corner Rade Dragusin’s header just wide.
Strakosha also had to make a tough save, getting down quickly to palm Manolo Gabbiadini’s header off the line with one hand.
Lazio shot themselves in the foot, as Milinkovic-Savic was pulled back by the jersey and protested with the referee he didn’t receive a free kick, went into a lunge on Tommaso Augello and was booked. Wearing the captain’s armband, he continued his complaints and evidently said something excessive, earning a second yellow card moments later.
Maya Yoshida turned a free header off target from Candreva’s set play, as even against 10 men, Samp only got a consolation goal in the final minute with Gabbiadini spinning to score from 12 yards on a Riccardo Ciervo cross from the right.
Albin Ekdal threatened a second moments later, his screamer flashing inches wide.
Sampdoria 1-3 Lazio
Milinkovic-Savic 7 (L), Immobile 17, 37 (L), Gabbiadini 89 (S)
Sent off: Milinkovic-Savic 67 (L)