Lazio boosted their hopes of another top-four finish and dented Roma’s title ambitions as Luis Alberto’s double sealed a dominant 3-0 victory in the Rome derby.
The nominal hosts took the lead after 14 minutes at the Stadio Olimpico thanks to Manuel Lazzari, who pressured Roger Ibañez into a defensive error and cut the ball back for Ciro Immobile to sweep into the top corner.
Simone Inzaghi’s side doubled their lead nine minutes later, Luis Alberto finishing clinically after more hard work from Lazzari – although the midfielder appeared to handle the ball in the buildup. Luis Alberto got his second, and Lazio’s third, midway through the second half with a fine finish from the edge of the area.
Victory in the “silent derby”, played behind closed doors, lifts Lazio to seventh place, three points behind third-placed Roma. The three teams between them – Juventus, Atalanta and Napoli – all have two games in hand. Roma stay six points behind leaders Milan, and three behind Internazionale in second.
In the Bundesliga, Union Berlin climbed to fourth in the table after substitute Cédric Teuchert’s 88th-minute winner earned a 1-0 home win over Bayer Leverkusen.
Teuchert hit the woodwork early in the second half and missed another chance on the hour, but finally scored on the break to extend lacklustre Leverkusen’s winless run to four games. Union, by contrast, are unbeaten in six games and now sit in the Champions League places, five points behind league leaders Bayern Munich.
Pochettino to miss PSG games after positive test
Mauricio Pochettino will miss Paris Saint-Germain’s next two Ligue 1 games after testing positive for coronavirus, the club have announced.
The PSG manager was on the touchline for Wednesday’s Super Cup victory over Marseille but will now self-isolate. Pochettino will miss Saturday’s trip to Angers and the visit of Montpellier next Friday.
“The coach of PSG, Mauricio Pochettino, is confirmed positive in the Sars-CoV-2 PCR test,” an official club statement said. “He will therefore respect isolation and is subject to the appropriate health protocol. His assistants, Jesús Pérez and Miguel D’Agostino, will take over from tomorrow in Angers.”
The 48-year-old has been in charge at the Parc des Princes for just two weeks but earned the first trophy of his managerial career with Wednesday’s win. PSG sit second in the table as the season resumes after the winter break.
In Friday’s Ligue 1 game, Monaco held on to win 3-2 at Montpellier. Two goals from Wissam Ben Yedder and one from Kevin Volland had put Niko Kovac’s side in control, but the hosts threatened a comeback with two second-half goals.