ROME (Reuters) -A first-half goal by midfielder Ivan Ilic secured Torino a surprise 1-0 win at second-placed Lazio in Serie A on Saturday as Ivan Juric’s side returned to winning ways and into the top 10.
Torino, winless in their previous four games, moved up one place to 10th on 42 points.
“We played a great game, we suffered little against a Lazio side made up of great players. We deserved to win,” Juric told DAZN.
Lazio, who remain in second on 61 points, saw their lead over the third spot shrink to two points after Juventus returned to the top four when their 15-point deduction over the club’s transfer dealings was scrapped on Thursday.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side host leaders Napoli on Sunday.
The very first play of the game could have ended in a goal for Lazio after Mattia Zaccagni’s header bounced in front of Torino keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic who had to grasp it twice to keep it out.
But focused Torino kept up with the hosts and had a good chance in the 20th minute when winger Nemanja Radonjic, teed up by Antonio Sanabria, struck towards the bottom right corner only to be denied by diving Lazio keeper Ivan Provedel.
Lazio, challenged by the visitors for speed and possession, had their second chance from a free kick in the 38th, but midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was calmly denied by his brother defending Torino’s goal.
An even first half took a turn two minutes before halftime when Torino went ahead through Ilic who struck low from outside the box.
“LESS BRILLIANT LAZIO”
The two sides went head-to-head after the break but Torino came closer to scoring again with a stunning chance 10 minutes into the second half through a first-time effort by Radonjic, which was saved by Provedel.
Torino forward Sanabria should have scored his 10th goal of the season shortly before full time, while defender Alessandro Buongiorno’s header flew narrowly over the bar a minute later.
Torino, who had won only one of their previous 18 away league games against Lazio, when they beat the Rome side 3-1 in December 2017, put an end to Lazio’s run of four consecutive wins.
They also denied coach Maurizio Sarri the chance to celebrate his 150th Serie A win as a manager.
“We were less brilliant than usual,” Sarri said. “We had a week with a heavy workload, we wanted to add some more fuel in for this final (stretch).”
Earlier on Saturday, Salernitana beat 10th-placed Sassuolo 3-0 with early goals by defender Lorenzo Pirola and forward Boulaye Dia, and a second-half strike by midfielder Lassana Coulibaly, to move up one place to 14th.
On Friday, lowly Hellas Verona edged eighth-placed Bologna 2-1 with two goals, including a penalty, by forward Simone Verdi.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk; Editing by Clare Fallon and Mike Harrison)
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Source: The Print
