Lazio stumble before Cup final
Milan, May 14: Lazio stumbled ahead of next week’s Italian Cup final showdown against Juventus falling to a 3-2 Serie A defeat at Fiorentina on Saturday.
Keita Balde’s 55th-minute opener for Lazio had Fiorentina hanging their heads in desperation and staring at a possible third defeat from their past five games.
But Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi rested several key players ahead of the Cup final date with treble-chasing Juventus, and Paulo Sousa’s hosts capitalised to claim a precious win that sent them up to seventh, one point behind Europa League-chasing AC Milan, who were held 1-1 away to fifth-placed Atalanta.
Gerard Deulofeu got the equaliser for Milan three minutes from time after prolific goal-scoring defender Andrea Conti’s opener just before the break — his eighth of the season.
The result ensured Atalanta qualify for next season’s Europa League after a 26-year absence from continental competition.
In Florence, Babacar spurned a chance to level moments after Balde’s goal when Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha sent a clearance straight to the Senegal striker but made amends by tipping his curling drive to safety.
But Strakosha was left stunned when the big centre-forward pulled Fiorentina level minutes later with a header at the keeper’s near post.
Strakosha did well to parry a Cristian Tello strike, but it came off Lazio man Stefan Radu and became an assist for Kalinic as the Croatian fired the hosts into a 2-1 lead on 73 minutes.
A curling drive from Kalinic had Fiorentina 3-1 up minutes later when it came off the far post and off the leg of Lombardi.
But the visitors came fighting back, Luis Alberto finding Alessandro Murgia with a cross that saw his looping header go over Tatarusanu and into the far top corner.