Lazio were forced to head home with only a point after a difficult goalless draw against Sturm Graz.
The Biancocelesti were hungry for a positive result in Austria after their painful 5-1 loss to FC Midtjylland before the international break, but things were tougher than expected at the Merkur Arena and ultimately nothing could separate the two sides.
Sturm Graz put in a better shift going forward than Lazio and will be frustrated that they failed to convert any of their 15 shots, but Ivan Provedel’s strong performance between the sticks ensured that Maurizio Sarri’s side at least had something to show for the Europa League clash.
The Roman club thought they’d found a late winner in the 80th minute after Ciro Immobile latched onto a beautiful ball from Elseid Hysaj and beat Jörg Siebenhandl, but a quick VAR check saw it chalked off for offside, leaving the Italian star frustrated.
Sturm Graz’s Jusuf Gazibegovic was sent off in the 81st minute after picking up his second yellow card of the match, but it came too late for Lazio to punish the Austrians, allowing them to stand firm and grind out the draw.
Luckily for both sides, the other match of Group F between Feyenoord and FC Midtjylland ended in a 2-2 draw, leaving all four teams tied on four points after three games, leaving the group wide open.
