Genoa 0-3 Lazio: Taty Castellanos Inspires Timely Away Victory | OneFootball

Lazio put a halt to their two-match losing streak by making short work of the struggling Genoa at the Luigi Ferraris.

Lazio Starting Lineup

With five midfielders missing through injury and suspension, Maurizio Sarri was forced to drop his 4-3-3 system in favor of a 4-2-3-1 formation, and reinstate Toma Basic. The returning Croatian started in the double pivot alongside Danilo Cataldi, while Boulaye Dia played behind Taty Castellanos, with Matteo Cancellieri and Mattia Zaccagni on the wings.

Luca Pellegrini replaced Nuno Tavares at left-back, joining Adam Marusic, Mario Gila and Alessio Romagnoli in the four-man defence ahead of Ivan Provedel.

Matteo Cancellieri Puts Lazio in the Lead

The Biancocelesti started on a positive note, and it only took them four minutes to break the deadlock through Cancellieri, who scored his first since his return to the club.

The Italian winger took advantage of Genoa’s high defensive line, as he played a give-and-go with Castellanos in the middle of the park and then found himself in front of Nicola Leali, and he managed to place a delicate shot past the Genoa goalkeeper.

Lazio Come Close to Second

Cancellieri and Castellanos almost combined to score the second for Lazio, with the winger’s header freeing up the Argentine. Nevertheless, Leali’s gamble paid off as he stormed out of the box to beat the striker for the ball. Cancellieri tried to pounce on the rebound with a cheeky chip, but the big goalie blocked it with his body.

Taty Castellanos Scores  as Adam Marusic Sacrifices Himself

Castellanos eventually got his goal at the half-hour mark following a switft counter-attack he launched himself. The 26-year-old played a give-and-go with Marusic who set him up with a sublime square ball.

The striker latched onto it, and although it wasn’t the most precise of shots, the low drive had enough power behind it to beat Leali. Nevertheless, the Montenegrin right-back hurt himself in the process, which dampened the celebrations.

Ivan Provedel Had to Work for his Clean Sheet

The Grifone launched an onslaught towards the end of the first half, but Provedel was alert to the danger, producing three successive saves. The Lazio goalkeeper prevailed over Ellertsson in a one-on-one situation, before flying to stop Lorenzo Colombo’s volley, and finally denying a long-range effort from Ruslan Malinovskyi.

Ref Changes His Mind on Genoa Penalty

After the break, Genoa thought they won a spot-kick as the ball seemed to have grazed Romagnoli’s arm. However, the referee reversed his decision following an on-field review, as the ball had bounced off Colombo’s back first.

Mattia Zaccagni Completes Genoa Routing

A few minutes later, Lazio got their third of the evening. Pellegrini delivered a cross to the box from a free-kick, and Cancellieri thought he had scored, but his header was actually denied by the post, which resulted in a goalmouth scramble involving Dia and a couple of Genoa defenders. In the end, the ball fell nicely to Zaccagni, who scored the easiest of tap-ins.

Lazio Earn Maiden Away Victory

Cancellieri somehow managed to scupper the opportunity to complete his brace after being put through on goal by Castellanos. On the other end of the pitch, Genoa failed to put the ball in the net despite (the suspended) Patrick Vieira’s attacking changes, so the contest ended 3-0, with Lazio earning their first victory on the road since the start of the season.

Genoa 0-3 Lazio

Scorers: 4′ Cancellieri (L), 30′ Castellanos (L), 63′ Zaccagni (L)

Genoa (4-2-3-1): Leali; Norton-Cuffy, Ostigard, Vasquez, Martin (84′ Venturino); Masini (68′ Stanciu), Frendrup; Ellertsson, Malinovskyi (68′ Ekhator), Vitinha (68′ Carboni); Colombo (68′ Ekuban).

Lazio(4-2-3-1) : Provedel; Marusic (Hysaj 32′), Gila (Provstgaard 83′), Romagnoli, Pellegrini (Tavares 69′); Cataldi, Basic (Patric 83′); Cancellieri, Dia, Zaccagni; Castellanos (Pedro 83′).

Referee: Ayroldi; Assistants: Cecconi – Zingarelli; Fourth Official: Zanotti; VA : Abisso and Dionisi.

Yellow cards: 1′ Vasquez (G), 17′ Norton-Cuffy (G), 35′ Cataldi (L), 51′ Masini (G), 62′ Malinovskyi (G), 93′ Ostigard (G)