Immobile and Alberto help Lazio close in on Juve to 4 points with Fiorentina win
Lazio back winning 2-1 against Fiorentina to close the gap on Serie A leaders Juventus. Meanwhile, Ante Rebic and Hakan Calhanoglu scored late to give AC Milan a 2-0 victory over Roma
Ciro Immobile and Luis Alberto got title-chasing Lazio back winning 2-1 against Fiorentina on Saturday to close the gap on Serie A leaders Juventus to four points.
Lazio’s 21-match unbeaten run ended with a 3-2 defeat at Atalanta on Wednesday, ater surrendering a two-goal lead.
But Simone Inzaghi’s side consolidated second position, behind the eight-time reigning champions, who had dominated Lecce 4-0 in Turin on Friday.
“The lads know the stakes are high,” said Inzaghi as Lazio target a first Serie A title in two decades.
“It’s a victory of character and determination. We have a limited squad at the moment with several injuries.”
Inzaghi’s side trailed early on their return to the Stadio Olimpico nearly four months ater the start of the coronavirus lockdown with Fiorentina’s French veteran Franck Ribery puting the visitors ahead on 25 minutes.
The 37-year-old former Bayern Munich star showed incredible skill playing just his second match since returning from a right ankle injury last November. Ribery cut through the Lazio defence, leaving Marco Parolo and Patric rooted, working his way past Francesco Acerbi to beat keeper Thomas Strakosha.
A minute later Fiorentina keeper Bartlomiej Dragowski denied a Parolo header from close range while Felipe Caicedo sent the ball over the bar.
Lazio shited gear in the second half but had to wait until the 67th minute to get back on level terms with a penalty awarded for a Dragowski foul on Caicedo.
Serie A top scorer Immobile stepped up to slot in his 28th league goal this season, five more than Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Luis Alberto’s low effort sealed the win seven minutes from time.
The game ended amid confusion as Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic was sent off in injury time for pushing Patric, with Inzaghi also given a red card for arguing.
Fiorentina stay 13th, equal on points with 14th-placed Torino, with both teams six points above the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, Ante Rebic and Hakan Calhanoglu scored late to give AC Milan a 2-0 victory over Roma on Sunday and dent the capital side’s Champions League ambitions.
Both teams struggled early in the stifling heat at the San Siro, with Roma’s Edin Dzeko heading wide and Calhanoglu nodding over the bar.
But Stefano Pioli’s Milan dominated ater the break with Rebic breaking through ater 76 minutes, rifling the ball into the roof of the net at the third atempt ater a frantic scramble following a Davide Zappacosta blunder.
Calhanoglu converted a penalty with a minute to go ater Chris Smalling fouled Theo Hernandez in the area.
Roma are fith, six points behind Atalanta who occupy the final Champions League berth and play Udinese later Sunday.
Milan move up to seventh just below the Europa League berths ater a second win this week.
Third-placed Inter Milan play Parma later on Sunday looking to keep pace with leaders Juventus and second-placed Lazio.
Earlier Cagliari kept their Europa League hopes alive with a 4-2 victory over Torino.
Cagliari had been on a run of four consecutive defeats until former Italy international goalkeeper Walter Zenga took over before the coronavirus lockdown in early March.
Ater beating SPAL on their return, Zenga’s side clinched back-to-back wins and their first victory over Torino in nearly seven years.