Lazio defeated Sampdoria 1-0 in Serie A on Saturday evening at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
The game was tight throughout but a Santiago Gentiletti goal in the second half was enough to give the Biancoclesti a vital win in the race for Europe after the hosts wasted chances of their own.
The game got off to a tight and somewhat scrappy start as both sides were very compact in midfield.
Lazio had some early chances after good wing play from Felipe Anderson, while Samuel Eto’o elicited gasps from the home fans with an audacious lob that dropped narrowly wide of Etrit Berisha’s goal.
Samp had a chance after Roberto Soriano ran through the defensive line to get onto the end of a free-kick from deep but he headed over after struggling to reach the high ball.
Lazio came close to taking the lead in the 30th minute after a driving run from Felipe Anderson culminated in a dangerous ball across the face of goal which struck a Samp defender before rolling into the arms of Emiliano Viviano rather than the open goalmouth.
Samp had a good chance of their own minutes after as Soriano found space in the area before dragging a shot narrowly wide of the far post.
The Lazio defenders had their hearts in their mouths for a moment after some good interplay between Luis Muriel and Samuel Eto’o resulted in a scrappy clearance that almost floated into the top corner.
Sampdoria should have opened the scoring in the 42nd minute after some great work by Lorenzo De Silvestri down the right after he beat his man before squaring the ball to Pedro Obiang, but the Spaniard blasted over from close range and the sides went into the break goalless.
Samp started the second half in strong fashion after Obiang won the ball excellently in midfield before giving it to Eto’o who drove forward, but he curled the ball wide from a two on one situation.
It would prove costly as Lazio opened the scoring in the 52nd minute after a corner from the left was scrappily turned in by Gentiletti after Michael Ciani won his header with Viviano blocked off by players from both sides.
Doria seemed to take the blow of conceding badly and the Biancocelesti exerted more control of the game from their winning position.
Antonio Candreva almost scored a trademark screamer in the 69th minute but the ball fizzed narrowly wide of the post.
The visitors almost doubled their lead in the 73rd minute after Berisha caught a corner which led to a counterattack that ended with Luca Rizzo making an important block on Filip Djordjevic.
Samp struggled in their attempts to find a late equaliser and Lazio often looked the more likely to score but in the end protected their one-goal advantage well to claim three key points in their chase for a place in the Champions League next season.
