Lazio came into their match after a disappointing 2-1 loss midweek in the Europa League against Celtic. The match was highly entertaining and had six goals between the two clubs. Lecce had the first quality chance of the game with Khouma Babacar beating Patric and going in alone on the left side. The striker made a poor attempt with his chance as he shot the ball straight into Thomas Strakosha. Early in the first half, Lazio had plenty of opportunities to score with Luis Alberto creating many chances, yet the Biancocelesti were unable to convert on their opportunities.
Lazio scored first in this match with Joaquin Correa finding the back of the net after receiving a nice pass from Luis Alberto. The midfielder’s hard work eventually paid off for the Biancocelesti. The lead was short for Lazio as Gianluca Lapadula scored 10 minutes later to tie the match.
In the second half, Babacar once again had the first best chance of the half after he beat Francesco Acerbi and received a nice pass into the box, however, Strakosha made a brilliant save to keep Lecce from scoring. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored his second of the year to give the Biancocelesti the lead back after a nice pass from Acerbi into the box that Milinkovic-Savic was able to connect on and find the back of the net.
Lecce had a good opportunity to tie the match after a debatable call on Savic in the box that awarded Lecce a penalty shot. Babacar was denied by Strakosha, however, Lapadula scored on the rebound. Further review from Video Assistant Referee showed Lapadula entering the box too early and denied Lecce the tying goal. Minutes later, Lazio was awarded a penalty shot after a handball in the box where Savic tried to keep the ball in play from the byline, yet went off Marco Calderoni's arm. Ciro Immobile capitalized on his opportunity as he scored to give Lazio a 3-1 lead and his goal was the eventual game winner as they defeated Lecce 4-2. Correa scored his second of the game while Andrea La Mantia scored for the visitors giving them their second of the match.
Takeaways from the match
Strakosha was the difference maker in the match as the goalkeeper made several key saves to help Lazio from falling further behind in the match. Babacar was denied on two separate occasions and, additionally, Strakosha stopped a penalty shot in the second half which kept Lecce from tying the match at 2-2. Although Lazio were up 4-2, the goalkeeper once again was up to the test and stopped a quality chance in the dying moments of the match.
Lazio continues their fine form as they won their fourth straight match. While the Biancocelesti’s Europa League campaign has been disappointing, Lazio continues to keep pace in the Serie A standings sitting in third place and are aiming for a spot in the Champions League next season. The club will look to continue their recent strong form against Sassuolo after the international break.
Lecce’s four game unbeaten streak comes to an end after their 4-2 loss against Lazio. Lecce will now find themselves sitting only one point out of the relegation zone. Lecce will be disappointed with their result as they had many chances to score but were unable to capitalize. They will now look forward to their next match against a strong Cagliari side who comes off a strong and convincing win against Fiorentina.
Player of the match
Alberto continues to impress this season as the midfielder had yet another strong performance for Lazio. The Spaniard continued where he left off against AC Milan as he created many opportunities and chances for the Biancocelesti. The midfielder set up the first goal for Lazio after a nice pass to Correa where the forward made no mistake of finding the back of the net. Alberto created multiple chances on their corner kicks and, on one occasion, the goalkeeper had to make a save with his hand to prevent a goal. While the midfielder had an easy scoring chance in the first half, he continued to work hard and assisted in the back field while helping upfront. With his assist in the match, he is now the league leader with eight.