Immobile offers a first success to Lazio Rome

Ciro Immobile, Serie A’s top scorer last season for the fourth time in his career, got off to a flying start with a goal that saved Lazio Rome from a bad run against Bologna (2-1) on Sunday in the 1st day of Serie A. In its Olimpico stadium, Maurizio Sarri’s team started their season upside down, reduced to ten from the 6th minute after the exclusion of young goalkeeper Luis Maximiano. The Portuguese, summer recruit of the Roman club, was sanctioned for having taken the ball from the hand outside his surface. In numerical superiority, the Bolognese team trained by the former Laziale defender Sinisa Mihajlovic took the advantage on a penalty from Marko Arnautovic (38th). But the exclusion of French defender from Bologna Adama Soumaoro, warned twice in a few minutes just before the break (45 + 4th), changed the situation.

At ten against ten, Lazio pushed and logically equalized with a little success, since it was Lorenzo De Silvestri who scored against his camp after a new acceleration from the active Manuel Lazzari (68th). And in the 79th, Ciro Immobile sprung to relieve the Olimpico, scorer in the first game of the season as he is often used to (fifth time in a row). “The team deserved the win. Not so much for the game shown, but for the character. The supporters deserved this type of match, with this hunger for victory.he commented on Sky Sport. “Last year we finished 5th, a lot of good players arrived, there is great potential this season”he added.

Fiorentina also suffered against the promoted Cremonese, yet reduced to ten throughout the second period after the exclusion of Gonzalo Escalante (44th), before winning 3-2. In the lead at the break (2-1), the Viola was joined on a direct corner in the second half. However, she found the resources to snatch the victory in added time with the involuntary help of the opposing goalkeeper Ionut Radu: the Romanian, already the author of a big mistake last season which undoubtedly cost the title to Inter Milan , sent a center from Rolando Mandragora into his own net when the match was almost over (90 + 5th).