Lazio and Roma emerged victorious in their respective Serie A matches on Thursday, with Lazio crushing Como 5-1 and Roma edging out Torino 1-0.
Lazio’s Argentine striker Valentin Castellanos stole the show with a brace, including a penalty conversion and a clinical finish in the 81st minute. Spaniards Pedro and Patric added to the tally, while French under-21 striker Loum Tchaouna sealed the rout with his first goal for the club.
Roma, under fire after a 5-1 defeat to Fiorentina last weekend, found some respite with a narrow win over Torino. Paulo Dybala, playing as a “false nine,” broke the deadlock in the 20th minute, rounding the goalkeeper to slot home from a tight angle.
Despite being booed by their own fans before the match, Roma’s tactics paid off as they held on for the victory. Former Torino boss Ivan Juric, who joined Roma in September, will be relieved to have bought some time with this result.
In the day’s early match, Fiorentina continued their impressive form with a 1-0 victory at Genoa. German defender Robin Gosens scored against the run of play late in the second half, while former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea pulled off several crucial saves to earn the man of the match award.
