Lazio moves back into contention for Europe with 2-0 win at Torino in Serie A
Lazio's Matteo Guendouzi, left, celebrates after scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Serie A soccer match between Torino FC and Lazio SS at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in Turin, Italy, Thursday Feb. 22, 2024. Credit: AP/Fabio Ferrari
TURIN, Italy — Lazio moved back into contention for Europe with a 2-0 win at Torino in Serie A on Thursday.
Matteo Guendouzi and Danilo Cataldi scored second-half goals for the Roman club, which holds a 1-0 first-leg lead over Bayern Munich in the Champions League round of 16.
The match was rescheduled from last month when Lazio was in Saudi Arabia for the Italian Super Cup. Lazio was beaten 3-0 by eventual champion Inter Milan in the semifinals.
Lazio moved up to seventh place, one point behind city rival Roma.
Torino is four points behind in 10th.
Lazio visits Bayern for the second leg on March 5.
Luis Alberto set up both goals, first sending a pass toward Guendouzi, who used a quick control and an angled shot to find the target. Then the Spanish winger passed back to Cataldi, who scored with a long shot.
Lazio's Danilo Cataldi, right, celebrates after scoring their side's second goal of the game during the Serie A soccer match between Torino FC and Lazio SS at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in Turin, Italy, Thursday Feb. 22, 2024. Credit: AP/Fabio Ferrari
They were Luis Alberto's 58th and 59th assists in Serie A since he joined Lazio for the 2016-17 season — the most in the Italian league over that period. Sassuolo's Domenico Berardi is next on the list in that period with 56 assists.
Lazio ended with 10 men when defender Mario Gila picked up his second yellow card.
It was Torino's first loss in 2024.
