Lazio 4–1 Livorno: Eagles Flock To Victory

Lazio and Livorno were desperate to start the new decade in winning fashion as they took to the field in choppy waters at the bottom of the Serie A standings.

The Aquile started positively but it was the visitors who took the lead against the run of play when Martin Bergvold slotted coolly past Fernando Muslera after having broken through Lazio’s backline following some inexpert defending.

The Biancocelesti came out fighting after the break and quickly got themselves in front with two goals in the opening eight minutes from debutant Sergio Floccari. With little reply to their double blow the visitors began to fade and were duly punished when Tommaso Rocchi gifted Lazio a third with 20 minutes left to play.

Aleksandar Kolarov had the final say when he slotted home a late penalty kick, and Lazio were left to celebrate a vital victory on the road to salvation.

The game started quickly and but it was the Biancocelesti who took the early initiative as Mauro Zarate threaded Floccari into the box with an inviting ball after just 120 seconds.

Lazio’s new arrival was insistent on showing his worth, and Floccari hustled the Livorno backline with an energetic pressing high up the field.

It was the visitors who broke the deadlock against the run of play however, after Modibo Diakite let Bergvold slip past him inside the box. The Dane wasted nothing in front of goal and he coolly slotted the ball past Muslera to freeze the spirits of the Lazio faithful.

The home side came fighting back and Zarate almost created an opening when he burst through the visitors lines and followed up with an inviting cross on twelve minutes. The ball fell to Floccari inside the box but the Italian was denied a debut goal as his header came crashing off the bar.

The Aquile took heart from their close effort and Davide Ballardini’s men insistently pushed forward in search of a leveller. Despite their extensive possession however, Lazio still struggled to threaten the Livorno goal as they continued to suffer from a lack of cutting edge on midfield.

On the half hour mark the home side had Muslera to thank when the Uruguayan blocked Nelson Rivas’ headed effort from point blank range. After the Amaranato had whipped in what looked like a routine free kick, the Biancocelesti once again looked inattentive at the back.

Lazio went desperately close to levelling the scoring just before the break when Zarate finished off a quick move forward with a curled effort to the far top corner. The ball zipped inches over the bar and the Argentine couldn’t hold back his frustration as he cried out in fury.

Just seconds before half-time, the Biancocelesti were once again denied by the woodwork when Sebastiano Siviglia headed a corner onto the crossbar. With De Lucia beaten, the Lazio captain was extremely unfortunate not to have found the net after expertly peeling off his marker inside the box.