Lazio’s once-promising bid for a first Serie A title in two decades has been decimated during the Italian league’s restart.
The Roman squad conceded a stoppage-time winner in losing to Sassuolo 2-1 at home on Saturday for its third straight defeat.
Lazio was left trailing eight-time defending champion Juventus by seven points ahead of the Bianconeri’s late game at high-flying Atalanta.
Lazio's Ciro Immobile eyes the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Sassuolo at the Rome Olympic Stadium Saturday, July 11, 2020. (AP PhotoAlessandra Tarantino)
A Juventus victory would leave Lazio 10 points behind, while an Atalanta win would mean the Bergamo squad would leapfrog it into second place. Six rounds remain.
Entering the restart, Lazio trailed Juventus by only one point.
Inside a scorching Stadio Olimpico, Francesco Caputo nodded in the winner for his 16th goal of the season, sending Sassuolo to its fourth straight victory. The Emilia-Romagna squad has lost only once in the restart -- to Atalanta — and is starting to move into contention for a Europa League spot in eighth place.
Sassuolo's Francesco Caputo, right, celebrates with his teammate Giangiacomo Magnani after scoring his side's second goal during the Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Sassuolo at the Rome Olympic Stadium Saturday, July 11, 2020. (AP PhotoAlessandra Tarantino)
Luis Alberto gave Lazio an early lead with a deflected shot before Giacomo Raspadori equalized after the break with his first Serie A goal.
PARMA POSITIVE
Parma announced that a non-playing member of the team tested positive for the coronavirus.
From left, Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Sassuolo's Manuel Locatelli nd Lazio's Felipe Caicedo go for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Sassuolo at the Rome Olympic Stadium Saturday, July 11, 2020. (Alfredo FalconeLaPresse via AP)
Parma said the person was without symptoms and was being isolated according to government protocols. The team adds that every other member of the team tested negative but that the squad was being kept under observation at the club’s training center.
According to the league’s virus protocol, Parma can still play its home game against Bologna on Sunday.
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Lazio's Luis Alberto celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Sassuolo at the Rome Olympic Stadium Saturday, July 11, 2020. (AP PhotoAlessandra Tarantino)
Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf