Serie A | Torino 0-2 Lazio: Clinical Biancocelesti

Lazio took a leap towards European qualification with this precious victory away to wasteful Torino, as Luis Alberto assisted Matteo Guendouzi and Danilo Cataldi.

This Week 21 fixture was rescheduled from January so the Aquile could participate in the Supercoppa Italiana in Riyadh. Going into this game, only one point separated the teams in the hunt for seventh place. Adrien Tameze, Mergim Vojvoda, Alessandro Buongiorno and Perr Schuurs were out for the hosts, while Matias Vecino, Nicolò Rovella and Patric didn’t make the trip.

Toro had a huge scoring opportunity within four minutes, as Raoul Bellanova’s cross found Antonio Sanabria to volley onto the base of the near post.

Duvan Zapata’s header flashed wide and Ivan Provedel made a desperate reaction save on Sanabria’s shot from another Bellanova cross.

Nikola Vlasic’s volley into the ground bounced off target and Adam Masina’s free header from a corner skimmed the upright.

Toro continued to waste opportunities after the restart with Duvan Zapata ballooning over, so they were made to pay.

Lazio took the lead with their first real foray forward, as Luis Alberto placed a through ball and Ciro Immobile let it go for Matteo Guendouzi, who drilled under a slow to get down Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.

𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 ✨

Matteo Guendouzi puts Lazio ahead and hits the Cole Palmer celebration 🥶 pic.twitter.com/U5m7Sa0ugl

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 22, 2024

Incredibly, they doubled their lead moments later after Guendouzi pulled back from the by-line, Luis Alberto laid it off to the edge of the area and Danilo Cataldi’s snooker shot finish went in off the base of the upright.

That knocked all the wind out of Torino’s sails and Felipe Anderson threatened to set up a third with his pull-back, but Gineitis threw himself in the path of the Guendouzi strike.

However, Lazio went down to 10 men as Mario Gila received his second yellow card for tripping Duvan Zapata just inches outside the penalty area.

Toro tried to resume their earlier siege, but Samuele Ricci slipped at the crucial moment and fired over from a Nikola Vlasic lay-off.

Torino 0-2 Lazio

Guendouzi 51 (L), Cataldi 56 (L)

Sent off: Gila 78 (L)