Empoli 0-1 Lazio: Boulaye Dia’s Early Strike Settles Cagey Affair | OneFootball

Lazio return to Rome with three points in the bag, as an early strike from Boulaye Dia was enough to inflict more misery on the struggling Empoli.

Lazio Starting Lineup

Marco Baroni adopted a conservative version of his 4-2-3-1 formation, with Adam Marusic starting as a winger. Club captain Mattia Zaccagni operated on the opposite flank, while Boulaye Dia slotted in behind Taty Castellanos.

In midfield, Nicolo Rovella and Matteo Guendouzi linked up once more, and Elseid Hysaj, Samuel Gigot, Alessio Romagnoli and Luca Pellegrini formed the backline.

Boulaye Dia Breaks Deadlock

Lazio enjoyed a dream start, opening the scoring in the first minute. Castellanos dropped the middle to receive Rovella’s pass before freeing up Hysaj with a superb horizontal play. The Albanian produced a wonderful cross that Saba Goglichidze failed to clear, gifting Dia all the time and space in the world to beat Devis Vazquez from close range.

Lorenzo Colombo Sent Off

After taking an early lead, the visitors dropped the tempo, as neither side produced anything noteworthy for the remainder of the first period. In the 39th minute, Lorenzo Colombo earned his second yellow in quick succession after fouling Gigot, which left Empoli down a man.

Empoli’s Goal Disallowed

Despite their numerical disadvantage, the Tuscans managed to find the back of the net early in the second period.

Junior Sambia sent a free-kick cross to the box, and it was headed goalwards by Ola Solbakken. The ball bounced off Romagnoli’s knee before finding Mattia Viti who beat Christos Mandas, but was eventually denied by a marginal offside decision following a VAR review.

Lazio Maintain Lead Despite Elseid Hysaj’s Dismissal

Lazio then lost their numerical advantage when Hysaj received his marching orders for two swift bookings. Nevertheless, Empoli were already too tired to launch an onslaught after finding themselves on level terms once more.

Gustav Isaksen had the chance to score Lazio’s second in the last minute, but couldn’t beat Vazquez, thus ending the contest 1-0 in favor of the Aquile. Lazio’s slim victory saw them temporarily climb to fourth place as they await the results of Juventus, Bologna and Roma.

Empoli 0-1 Lazio

Goal: 1′ Dia

Empoli (3-4-2-1): Vasquez; Goglichidze (46′ Sambia), Ismajli, Viti (90′ Campaniello); Gyasi, Fazzini, Marianucci, Pezzella; Solbakken (59′ Konate), Cacace; Colombo.

Lazio (4-2-3-1): Mandas; Hysaj, Gigot, Romagnoli, Pellegrini (71′ Gila); Guendouzi, Rovella (79′ Provstgaard); Marusic (46′ Isaksen), Dia (59′ Vecino), Zaccagni (71′ Pedro); Castellanos.

Referee: Andrea Colombo

Yellow cards: 34′ Colombo (E), 45’+2  Goglichidze (E), 56′ Pellegrini (L), 66′ Hysaj (L), 83′ Pezzella (E), 88′ Vecino (L), 93′ Provstgaard (L)

Red cards: 39′ Colombo (E), 76′ Hysaj (L)