Lazio fought back three times from Spezia goals and eventually snatched a 4-3 victory with Francesco Acerbi after a week of controversy.
Thiago Motta’s side were coming off back-to-back defeats, with Martin Erlic suspended, Ebrima Colley and Leo Sena injured. The Biancocelesti were shaken by a last-gasp loss to Milan, which left them likely to miss out on European qualification.
Spezia took the lead in curious circumstances, as a free kick was flicked on to the back post, where both Kelvin Amian and Thomas Strakosha seemed to hesitate, in the end the defender managed to nod it over the line from point-blank range.
Felipe Anderson dribbled past everyone to see his finish practically cleared off the line from a tight angle, then the Toma Basic follow-up beaten away.
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Ivan Provedel ran a huge risk when rushing off his line to clear off the feet of Mattia Zaccagni, getting to the ball first by milliseconds.
Provedel also parried a ferocious Ciro Immobile strike under the bar and was tested at the near post by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Another Milinkovic-Savic opportunity was ruined by Nikolaou’s clumsy handling offence, allowing Immobile to convert the penalty into the roof of the net.
Barely 60 seconds had passed before Spezia had restored their lead, as Kevin Agudelo caught Patric napping in the final third and dinked it over the on-rushing Strakosha.
Daniele Verde had the ball in the net for a third time on the stroke of half-time, but only after wandering offside.
Lazio drew level again after the restart, Mattia Zaccagni’s angled drive fingertipped onto the far post by Provedel, but it ricocheted off the upright and back into the net off the goalkeeper’s shoulder.
Spezia yet again refused to let it lie, going back in front within 60 seconds, as a Verde free kick found Petko Hristov for a free header, having escaped from his marker.
Lazio equalised again when Milinkovic-Savic held off Arkadiusz Reca to chest down a ball over the top and kept his cool to sweep past Provedel.
Zaccagni thumped the same upright for the second time with an angled drive, though on this occasion it bounced back out.
Milinkovic-Savic’s curler flashed just over and it remained wide open until Lazio took the lead. Provedel again did everything possible on Immobile’s shot, but was helpless when Francesco Acerbi somehow flicked it backwards over the defender on the line and into the net for 3-4.
Acerbi had been bitterly criticised all week by fans for his reaction to Milan’s last-gasp winner.
Spezia 3-4 Lazio
Amian 9 (S), Immobile pen 34 (L), Agudelo 35 (S), Provedel og 54 (L), Hristov 56 (S), Milinkovic-Savic 68 (L), Acerbi 90 (L)
How do you guys not mention that Acerbi’s goal is offside?
This is one of the worst mistakes this year in Serie A, complete ignorance of the offside rule by VAR