Lazio beats Bologna 2-1 despite goalkeeper's early red card

Sun, Aug 14, 2022
Soccer News (AP)

MILAN (AP) - Lazio goalkeeper Luis Maximiano was sent off less than six minutes into his Serie A debut on Sunday but the capital club managed to win 2-1 against Bologna, which was also reduced to 10 men.

Maximiano, who joined from Granada in the offseason, rushed to the edge of the penalty area to grab the ball and, after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor, the referee adjudged that Maximiano had handled the ball outside the area and the Portuguese goalkeeper was shown a straight red card.

Lazio nevertheless almost took the lead shortly after when Ciro Immobile burst forward but his angled effort was deflected just past the far post.

Bologna broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. Alessio Romagnoli put his team in trouble with a terrible headed clearance and teammate Mattia Zaccagni tried to hoof it clear but instead kicked opposing forward Nicola Sansone.

Marko Arnautovic struck the resulting penalty into the top right corner.

However, the first half ended with the teams in numerical parity after Bologna defender Adama Soumaoro was sent off in stoppage time following a second yellow card, just minutes after his first.

Lazio eventually equalized in the 68th. Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski managed to parry Manuel Lazzari's effort but the ball ricocheted in off defender Lorenzo De Silvestri for an own goal.

The turnaround was complete 11 minutes later as Sergej Milinkovic-Savic threaded a ball through for Immobile to fire between Skorupski's legs.

Lazio's city rival, Roma, was playing later and Jose Mourinho's team will be looking to make a show of intent against Salernitana in its opening match of the season.

ANOTHER RADU HOWLER

Another horrendous error from goalkeeper Ionu? Radu saw Cremonese lose 3-2 at Fiorentina in a disappointing return to Serie A.

Cremonese had played the entire second half with 10 men after midfielder Gonzalo Escalante was sent off for a two-footed tackle on Christian Kouame.

But it managed to fight back to 2-2 when substitute Cristian Buonaiuto leveled direct from a corner kick in the second half, just three minutes after coming off the bench.

Radu had pulled off a number of magnificent saves but was at fault for the stoppage-time winner as he managed to catch Rolando Mandragora's cross but carried it back into his own net.

Radu is on loan from Inter Milan and it was his error in a match against Bologna that is widely perceived to have cost the Nerazzurri the title.

It was Cremonese's first match back in the top flight since 1996.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports