Lazio title tilt suffers another setback

SECOND-placed Lazio slumped to a third successive defeat in the Serie A title race when they were beaten 2-1 at home by midtable Sassuolo in stifling heat at the Stadio Olimpico yesterday.

Half-time substitute

Francesco Caputo headed in from point-blank range in stoppage time as the visitors hit back after trailing at the intverval.

Lazio remain stuck on 68 points, seven behind Juventus who were at home to thirdplaced Atalanta (66 points) later yesterday.

Lazio had been on a 21-match unbeaten league run and were one point behind Juve when Serie A was suspended by the novel coronavirus pandemic in March.

Their injury-plagued squad has lost four out of six games since the restart.

Giacomo Raspadori, making his first-ever Serie A start, had the ball in the net for Sassuolo after nine minutes but the goal was ruled out after a long VAR review.

Lazio had another let-off two minutes later as Filip Djuricic hit the crossbar.

But they took the lead in the 33rd minute when Manuel Lazzari found the energy to run half the length of the pitch and cross to Luis Alberto who, after a heavy first touch, managed to score despite Manuel Locatelli’s challenge.

Sassuolo replied seven minutes after the restart when Caputo got free on the right, rolled the ball to Raspadori and the 20-year-old was this time able to celebrate his first Serie A goal.

Serie A’s leading scorer Ciro Immobile curled one wide and Bastos headed over as Lazio rallied, only to suffer a knockout blow late on.

The ball was swung in from the left, Gian Marco Ferrari got up at the far post and headed the ball across goal for Caputo to nod into the net.