Lazio came from a goal down to secure a 3-1 win over Inter Milan on Saturday.
Second-half goals from Ciro Immobile, Felipe Anderson and Milinkovic-Savic ensured that Maurizio Sarri’s side extended their unbeaten home run while Inter Milan tasted their first defeat in the league this season.
Former Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi who was returning to the Stadio Olimpico for the first time since his move to Inter would have hoped that his return would produce a happy memory. But Lazio ensured that he would go home with nothing to show for his efforts.
In what was arguably the biggest Serie A game of the weekend, Inter Milan got the first goal of the evening through an Ivan Perisic penalty after Elseid Hysaj had clipped Nicolò Barella in the box. The goal which came in the 17th minute was Ivan Perišić’s fifth career goal against today’s opponents in 12 matches.
Maurizio Sarri’s men pressed the visitors for an equaliser but could not get their wish in the first half.
After the break, the hosts continued to control the game, and they were rewarded for their patience in the 64th minute when Alessandro Bastoni was penalised for handling the ball in the box. Ciro Immobile scored from the resulting spot-kick to level the scores and get his 100th goal at the Stadio Olimpico.
Lazio turned the match on its head in the 81st minute with the impressive Anderson finishing off a swift counterattack. Sarri’s men completed the comeback in the dying minutes of the game. The goal came through a Milinković-Savić glancing header from Luis Alberto’s free-kick.
Inter unbeaten start ends
The loss to Lazio is the first time Inter Milan have tasted defeat in the league this season.
The defending champions had entered Round Eight without a loss and were on paper expected to win this game given the form of Lazio. But despite going ahead very early in the game, they could not keep their shape and allowed the hosts to control much of the game.
They will now hope to restart and build momentum. But they have very tough upcoming fixtures in the league to navigate. They play Juventus next at home before facing Empoli away and Udinese to complete this month.
They begin with AC Milan in November, and then Napoli and Venezia.
Lazio continues unbeaten home form
Lazio extended their impressive home record with the result on Saturday. Before the game, the hosts had won two of the three games they played at the Olimpico (D1) and were also on a 16 game unbeaten run.
With the win on Saturday, their run is extended further and they once again prove that they are a different beast when they play at home.
Sarri will hope that they can replicate their home form on their next road trips which see them play Verona and Atalanta next.
Felipe Anderson thriving under Sarri
After struggling to recapture his 2018/2019 form for West Ham, Felipe Anderson was shipped out of the Premier League and labelled by some fans as a flop.
But since his transfer to Lazio through Porto, the Brazilian has proven that he still possesses the quality and flair that made him a fan’s favourite in London. Against Inter on Saturday, he was at the heart of everything good for Lazio and was duly awarded the man of the match for a good display.
His goal was a proof of his all-round quality as he supplied the pass for Immobile to shoot before following up to score the striker’s parried shot. In just eight appearances this season under Sarri, Anderson has scored three and assisted a further two goals which is the same number of goal involvement he had over 25 games in his last season at West Ham.
