Boulaye Dia bagged a brace and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru was also on target, as Lazio dominated Dynamo Kyiv in the Europa League, but harsh refereeing saw two red cards.
The Aquile opened their UEFA campaign on neutral turf at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg due to the on-going situation in Ukraine. Samuel Gigot was injured, with Taty Castellanos and Tijjani Noslin only fit for the bench. Dynamo missed Matviy Ponomarenko, Denys Popov, Mykola Mykhaylenko, Nazar Voloshyn and Volodymyr Shepelev.
Just as with the Champions League, this new format has just one big league table and each team faces eight different opponents – four at home and four away. The top eight go directly through, the sides 9-24 enter play-offs and 25-36 are eliminated.
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It took under five minutes to break the deadlock, as Dynamo did not clear effectively, so Dia completed a give and go with Pedro, bursting into the box and scuffing a low finish into the far bottom corner.
Lazio take an early lead against Dynamo Kyiv within 4 minutes 🔥
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/Q9FXqB4xCp
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 25, 2024
There was another blow for Dynamo, who lost defender Brayan Ceballos to what appeared to be a serious thigh strain.
Ivan Provedel dealt with a tricky Mykola Shaparenko free kick and Loum Tchaouna’s snapshot was beaten away.
Lazio ran riot with two goals in 120 seconds, as first a poor Volodymyr Brazhko clearance was intercepted by Matias Vecino for the immediate through ball, releasing Dele-Bashiru to blast into the roof of the net.
Moments later, a well-worked move found Dele-Bashiru to cross from the right and Dia was allowed a totally free header into the near top corner.
Lazio have scored two goals in the space of a minute and now lead Dynamo Kyiv 3-0 💥
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/lSQtmtDQnO
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 25, 2024
Provedel was called into action on the Oleksandr Pikhalonok effort, but above all flying to fingertip a dipping Brazhko free kick out from under the bar and pushing the Andriy Yarmolenko curler round the far post.
Gil Patric sustained a muscular injury when trying to make a clearance, but got back and managed the block on Yarmolenko before limping off.
Pedro was unlucky not to make it 4-0 for Lazio on the hour mark, as he was released by an inspired Dia pass and the finish was deflected onto the inside of the far post, with Gustav Isaksen’s follow-up cleared off the line.
Dynamo Kyiv were reduced to 10 men in rather controversial circumstances, as Maksym Braharu seemed to be going for the ball, slipped and trod on the back of Mattia Zaccagni’s ankle. VAR intervened and a red card was awarded following an on-field review.
A Castellanos header was deflected onto the roof of the net, but another very harsh red card was awarded, this time to Noslin. The Lazio forward had been on the pitch for barely three minutes when a flick of the elbow caught Dubinchak on the nose and was considered to be intentional enough for a straight dismissal.
Provedel kept the clean sheet intact for Lazio with a save as Vladyslav Vanat’s free kick split the wall.
Dynamo Kyiv 0-3 Lazio
Dia 5, 35 (L), Dele-Bashiru 34 (L)
Sent off: Braharu 72 (D), Noslin 82 (L)
Player statistic
| 4' |  |
Boulaye Dia (Assist: Pedro) | ||
| 33' | |
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Assist: Matías Vecino) | ||
| 35' | |
Boulaye Dia (Assist: Fisayo Dele-Bashiru) |
| Vladyslav Dubinchak |  |
63' | ||
| Maksym Bragaru |  |
72' | ||
| 82' | |
Tijjani Noslin | ||
| 88' | |
Alessio Romagnoli | ||
| Taras Mykhavko | |
90+3' |
Match statistic
