Lazio march on in the Europa League with a dynamic 4-1 victory over OGC Nice, as birthday boy Taty Castellanos bagged a brace between Pedro and Mattia Zaccagni goals.
The Aquile were hoping to build on their 3-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv, though Tijjani Noslin was suspended after his red card and Samuel Gigot still injured. Nice drew 1-1 with Real Sociedad in their opener and missed Melvin Bard, Morgan Sanson, Gaetan Laborde and Terem Moffi.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
Matias Vecino fired wide from the edge of the area and the Adam Marusic roll across for Pedro was intercepted, but on the resulting corner Castellanos saw his header thump the frame of the goal from 14 yards.
Moments later, Vecino’s strike was deflected to loop up onto the top of the crossbar by Youssouf Ndayishimiye.
Lazio finally took a deserved lead after Patric’s header on a Pedro corner was cleared off the line by Jonathan Clauss, but Pedro bent the rebound into the far top corner with the inside of the left boot from a very difficult angle.
Vintage Pedro 🍷
A finish so good that it beat both a player and goalkeeper on the line 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/sWqiZP7kfj
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 3, 2024
Christos Mandas got down to beat away the Badredine Bounani low drive, but Lazio doubled their advantage with a delightful lob from birthday boy Castellanos. He had been sent clear on goal by the Pedro through ball and a defensive error, dinking it over the on-rushing goalkeeper.
However, Nice got back into it before half-time when former Atalanta and Sassuolo winger Jeremie Boga surged forward, completed a give and go with Youssoufa Moukoko inside the box and drilled into the far bottom corner.
After the restart, play was increasingly difficult as the heavy rain intensified. Pedro prodded straight at the goalkeeper after combining with Vecino, but Lazio added a third in style.
Castellanos ran on to the Nicolò Rovella through ball, cut back to send the defender sliding and then fired the finish into the far top corner with his right boot. It was initially flagged offside, but VAR confirmed he was level.
Bulka came sliding out on the very wet turf and just caught Castellanos on the way through from another Rovella pass. Contact was minimal, but enough, and Mattia Zaccagni converted the resulting penalty.
The pitch was waterlogged and Luca Pellegrini tried to surprise the goalkeeper with a lob from midfield, while Mandas made a desperate save from point-blank range on Evann Guessand and got behind the Moukoko chest and volley.
Castellanos tried to complete his hat-trick in the final minute with an acrobatic overhead kick, but it was put out for a corner by Dante.
Lazio 4-1 Nice
Pedro 20 (L), Castellanos 35, 53 (L), Boga 41 (N), Zaccagni pen 67 (L)
Player statistic
| 19' |  |
Tom Louchet | ||
| Pedro |  |
20' | ||
| Taty Castellanos | |
35' | ||
| 41' | |
Jeremie Boga (Assist: Youssoufa Moukoko) |
| 51' | |
Moïse Bombito | ||
| Taty Castellanos (Assist: Nicolò Rovella) |
|
53' | ||
| Mattia Zaccagni | |
59' | ||
| 66' | |
Marcin Bulka | ||
| Mattia Zaccagni |  |
67' | ||
| Luca Pellegrini | |
84' |
