Penalty Before Dissolution Wins Lazio Against Genoa

JAKARTA - Lazio won an important victory when the match was almost over. In the 90th minute + 10, the penalty of midfielder Danilo Cataldi brought Lazio to defeat Genoa 3-2 in the Italian Serie A match at the Olympic Stadium, Rome, Saturday, January 31, 2026 early morning WIB.

Lazio almost lost points when playing a home match with no spectators. Yes, Lazio fans protested against the club owner by refusing to come to the stadium to watch their favorite team's match.

On the other hand, Genoa fans who are known for their love of away tours have been sanctioned not to come to the home team's stadium in league matches. This makes the stadium almost empty because it is only filled with a few hundred spectators.

Without the presence of supporters, Lazio had to fight hard to get the maximum points. The hope was actually fulfilled when the Biancocelesti were two goals ahead. However, Genoa refused to give up and managed to equalize the score.

Fortunately, when the final whistle was blown, Lazio got a penalty. The execution at the white spot was well executed by Cataldi, a player who often loaned Lazio to other clubs.

The victory over Genoa makes Lazio confirm their position in the middle of the standings. Now, the capital team has 32 points and is comfortable in eighth place.

Meanwhile, Genoa is a little wary because it failed to improve its ranking. The team coached by Daniele De Rossi, a legend of AS Roma who is a rival of the one-city Lazio, only ranks 16th or two strips above the relegation zone. With 23 points, Genoa is only six points ahead of Fiorentina who occupy 18th place.

The match was boring throughout the first half. There were no dangerous attacks from both teams. Lazio, who relied on striker Daniel Maldini with the support of Gustav Isaksen and veteran winger Pedro, almost never threatened Genoa's defense.

The match started to get more interesting in the second half. The home team, who played more aggressively, finally took the lead after receiving a penalty in the 56th minute. The penalty was given after midfielder Aaron Martin committed a handball in Genoa's penalty area. Only when reviewing the incident through VAR, the referee took a long time to confirm that Martin had committed a foul and then pointed to the white spot.

The penalty execution was well executed by Pedro. The goal that made Lazio ahead 1-0 made the home team's game more developed.

As a result, Maurizio Sarri's team didn't take long to increase the lead. In the 62nd minute, Isaksen made a penetration from the left side and gave the ball to Kenneth Taylor. The opportunity was well utilized by Taylor and converted into a goal that changed the score to 2-0.

When Lazio was expected to win easily, Genoa showed a resurgence. They started playing offensively. Genoa's efforts bore fruit when Lazio defender Mario Gila made a mistake. Standing as a living fence against Ruslan Malinovsky's free kick, he was declared to have touched the ball while trying to block it.

The referee looked at it again through VAR before pointing to the white spot. The execution was carried out by Malinovsky and managed to defeat goalkeeper Ivan Provedel. The goal in the 67th minute changed the score to 2-1.

Genoa are increasingly active in applying pressure to equalize the score. Their attack also threatened Lazio's defense until finally Vitor 'Vitinha' Oliveira managed to break Provedel's goal in the 75th minute. The goal started from a corner kick taken by Malinovsky. And Vitinha was in the right position to finish the opportunity and change the score to 2-2.

When the match was expected to end in a draw, defender Leo Ostigard made a fatal mistake. He touched the ball in the 90th minute. The match, which should have ended, was forced to be extended for a few minutes because the referee reviewed the incident via VAR.

The referee watched him for quite some time before confirming the penalty. This time, Lazio's penalty from the white spot was executed by Cataldi. Although goalkeeper Justin Billow could read the direction of the ball, the ball moved faster and slid into the net. The score changed to 3-2 for Lazio and the referee blew the final whistle.