STADIO OLIMPICO (Rome) – Lazio returned to form in style with a 4-0 win over Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday to deepen the visitors’ crisis.
Simone Inzaghi faced heavy criticism after seeing his side fall to their third defeat in four games away to Serie A leaders Inter on Wednesday.
But they hit back with an emphatic victory that sent the Biancocelesti into sixth place in the table on 10 points and heaped pressure on Genoa boss Aurelio Andreazzoli.
Genoa are in the relegation zone after failing to win any of their last four Serie A matches, losing three of them.
Lazio took an early lead when Ciro Immobile picked out Sergej Milinkovic-Savic on the edge of the box for the Serbian to sweep in a composed finish.
Thomas Strakosha came to the rescue for the hosts with a diving save to deny Cristian Romero before later stopping an effort from Francesco Cassata.
But the hosts looked more dangerous and Luis Alberto scored a superb second from a flowing counter-attack, only for it to be ruled out following a VAR review for a foul in the build-up.
Inzaghi only had to wait another five minutes to see his side notch their second of the afternoon as Stefan Radu swept home a finish from a corner to give Lazio a comfortable lead at the break.
Genoa started the second half brightly as Antonio Sanabria missed a sitter by heading wide from six yards out, but things the result was put beyond doubt on the hour mark when Felipe Caicedo latched onto a Milinkovic-Savic through ball, rounded the goalkeeper and tapped in his side’s third.
The rout was completed with 12 minutes remaining when Luiz Felipe stepped out of defence to send Immobile racing through one on one and the striker made no mistake.
The striker celebrated by running to embrace coach Inzaghi on the touchline as a show of togetherness after he was fined for his angry response to being substituted against Parma last weekend.
