[Serie A] Empoli - Lazio = 0 - 1

Lazio secured a crucial 1-0 away win over Empoli in Week 35 of the 2024/2025 Serie A season, with Boulaye Dia’s early strike proving decisive at the Carlo Castellani Stadium on Sunday (5 May).

The victory lifted the Biancoceleste to sixth place with 63 points, level with fourth-placed Juventus in the race for Champions League qualification. With only three matches left in the season, Lazio's top-four ambitions remain alive and well.

Empoli, meanwhile, finds itself deeper in relegation danger. Sitting 19th on the table with 25 points, they are two points adrift from safety, and time is running out.

The visitors struck almost immediately after kickoff. Elseid Hysaj delivered a long ball over the top, which Empoli defender Mattia Viti failed to deal with. Boulaye Dia controlled the ball smartly with his chest before slotting it past the goalkeeper to give Lazio the lead within the first minute.

Empoli’s efforts to bounce back were hampered when forward Lorenzo Colombo received a second yellow card in the 38th minute. Lazio nearly capitalized through Adam Marusic’s header, but the score stayed 1-0.

The home side thought they had equalized shortly after the break when Mattia Viti put the ball in the net. However, VAR intervened and disallowed the goal for offside after the ball deflected off Ola Solbakken and Alessio Romagnoli before reaching Viti.

Lazio then suffered a setback of their own when Hysaj picked up a second yellow card in the 76th minute, reducing both sides to 10 men.

Despite late pressure and tension on the pitch, Marco Baroni’s men held firm to claim all three points in a gritty encounter that could prove vital in the race for European football.

Lazio (4-2-3-1): Mandas 6.5; Hysaj 5.5, Gigot 6.5, Romagnoli 6, Pellegrini 6 (70' Gila 6); Guendouzi 6, Rovella 6.5 (79' Provstgaard n/a); Marusic 6 (46' Isaksen 6.5), Dia 7 (58' Vecino 6), Zaccagni 6 (70' Pedro 6); Castellanos 6

Bench: Provedel, Furlanetto, Basic, Dele-Bashiru, Belahyane, Ibrahimovic, Noslin, Tchaouna

Coach: Baroni 6.5

Goalscorer: 1' Dia (L)

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