ROME: Lazio climbed to the top of the Serie A standings on Tuesday after producing a commanding 6-2 victory over Sassuolo, with Romano Floriani marking the occasion by scoring his first goal in Italy’s top division.
The right-back, who is the great-grandson of former Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, found the net in the 17th minute as Lazio dominated the contest. Sassuolo’s task became even more difficult when Kristian Thorstvedt was sent off in the 31st minute.
Floriani expressed his delight at scoring his first Serie A goal but emphasised that the team’s victory was the most important achievement.
“I’m really happy to have scored that first goal, but even more so about this win, which is crucial for us,” he said.
Lazio Move Three Points Clear at the Top
Lazio have collected 25 points from a possible 27 in their opening nine league matches, putting them three points ahead of defending champions Inter Milan.
Inter were scheduled to visit bottom-placed Venezia on Wednesday, giving them an opportunity to close the gap.
Lazio’s performance against Sassuolo highlighted their attacking strength, although the hosts managed to score twice despite playing much of the match with 10 men.
Kenneth Taylor opened the scoring for Lazio before Thorstvedt briefly brought Sassuolo level. Isaksen restored Lazio’s advantage, and Floriani extended the lead before Sebastiano Esposito scored another goal for the home side.
Mattia Zaccagni added to Lazio’s tally, while Tijjani Noslin scored twice to complete the 6-2 victory.
Lazio also missed two penalties during the match, but the missed opportunities did not prevent them from securing an emphatic win.
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Gattuso Urges Lazio to Remain Focused
Despite his team’s impressive run, Lazio manager Gennaro Gattuso warned his players against becoming distracted by their position at the top of the table.
He stressed that the team needed to maintain its discipline and concentrate on improving through consistent hard work.
“We mustn’t look at the standings, otherwise we’ll get a headache and start thinking we’re very good,” Gattuso said.
“We must not stray from our path, the path of hard work, of taking it one match at a time.”
His comments reflected an effort to keep expectations under control as Lazio continue their strong start to the campaign.
Roma and Como Secure Important Victories
Elsewhere in Serie A, Roma strengthened their hold on third place with a 4-2 home victory over Cagliari.
The result helped Roma maintain their position among the league’s leading sides as the competition for European qualification places intensified.
Como also enjoyed a successful evening, beating Torino 3-1 away from home. The victory lifted Como above AC Milan into fourth place in the standings.
With Lazio leading the table, Inter seeking to close the gap and Roma and Como making progress, the early-season Serie A race remains closely contested behind the league leaders.
