Serie A | Genoa 0-1 Lazio: Luis Alberto decisive

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Susy Campanale | Last updated 4/19/24

Just days after declaring he wanted a contract termination, Luis Alberto scored the only goal for Lazio’s big victory away to Genoa, keeping them in the European race.

The Grifone missed Junior Messias, Ruslan Malinovskyi, Mattia Bani and Alan Matturro, but Mateo Retegui returned to the starting XI with Albert Gudmundsson in a deeper role. Ciro Immobile, Mattia Zaccagni, Matteo Guendouzi and Ivan Provedel didn’t make the trip, though it was the first match since Felipe Anderson signed for Palmeiras and Luis Alberto publicly requested a transfer.

See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.

Caleb Ekuban hit the side-netting after cutting inside from the right, then Retegui fired over from the edge of the area following a Gudmundsson back-heel flick.

Alessandro Vogliacco charged down the Manuel Lazzari strike, with Mario Gila’s follow-up off target, and an acrobatic Ekuban scissor-kick volley was straight at Christos Mandas.

Lazio lost Lazzari to a calf injury and there was a scare when playing out from the back as Retegui tried to catch Mandas off his line, turning the lob off target from midfield.

Genoa really should’ve taken the lead on the stroke of half-time during a three against one counter-attack, but Ekuban got greedy and smashed the angled drive across the face of goal to skim the far post rather than pass to his teammates.

Josip Martinez got down to fingertip the Luis Alberto snooker shot round the base of the upright, then Koni De Winter was rescued after a slip by Aaron Martin, who flung himself in the way of the Felipe Anderson strike in a goal-saving block.

Lazio were building pressure and took the lead with a well-worked move. Felipe Anderson’s through ball sent Daichi Kamada to the by-line, his pull-back was let through by the Adam Marusic dummy and allowed Luis Alberto to sweep home from eight yards. The midfielder, who was stripped of the vice-captain’s role after announcing he wanted to terminate his contract this summer, celebrated by pointing to the club badge on his shirt.

Lazio brilliantly take the lead away from home! pic.twitter.com/7kj2Rq4ejk

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 19, 2024

Retegui hit a powerful but central effort at Mandas, but Lazio held out for a crucial victory that keeps them in the hunt for potentially a Champions League spot.

Genoa 0-1 Lazio

Luis Alberto 67 (L)

19-04-2024 17:30 MatchDay 33 Stadio Luigi Ferraris

Genoa

Lazio 0 - 1

Player statistic

Alessandro Vogliacco

-5'

1st half

16'

Nicolò Casale

2nd half

67'

Luis Alberto (Assist: Daichi Kamada) 87'

Danilo Cataldi

Match statistic

39 Possession % 61 8 Total shots 13 2 Shots on target 1 6 Shots off target 4 0 Blocked shots 8 2 Corners 9 2 Offsides 3 7 Fouls 13 Genoa Lazio

Starting lineups

1 Josep Martínez Goalkeeper 3

Aarón Martín Defender 14 Alessandro Vogliacco Defender 79' 90 Djed Spence Defender 22

Johan Vásquez Defender 4 Koni De Winter Defender 8

Kevin Strootman Midfielder 68' 32 Morten Frendrup Midfielder 89' 11

Albert Gudmundsson Attacker 18

Caleb Ekuban Attacker 68' 19 Mateo Retegui Attacker 35

Christos Mandas Goalkeeper 77

Adam Marusic Defender 29

Manuel Lazzari Defender 36' 34 Mario Gila Defender 15 Nicolò Casale Defender 46' 4

Patric Defender 6

Daichi Kamada Midfielder 10

Luis Alberto Midfielder 86' 5

Matías Vecino Midfielder 7

Felipe Anderson Attacker 68' 19

Taty Castellanos Attacker

68'

Substitutes

23 Giorgio Cittadini Defender 5 Emil Bohinen Midfielder 55

Ridgeciano Haps Defender 39 Daniele Sommariva Goalkeeper 16 Nicola Leali Goalkeeper 41 Christos Papadopoulos Midfielder 53 Tommaso Pittino Defender 47

Milan Badelj Midfielder 68' David Ankeye Attacker 68' 20

Stefano Sabelli Defender 79' 2

Morten Thorsby Midfielder 89' 3

Luca Pellegrini Defender 33

Luigi Sepe Goalkeeper 18

Gustav Isaksen Attacker 59

Davide Renzetti Goalkeeper 23

Elseid Hysaj Defender 36' 13

Alessio Romagnoli Defender 46' 9

Pedro Attacker 68' 32

Danilo Cataldi Midfielder 68' 65

Nicolò Rovella Midfielder