Lazio had to work hard to secure all three points in a tough Serie A clash with relegation candidates Empoli.
The Biancocelesti have been in a run of good form since the arrival of Igor Tudor back in March, even his side dropped points in a frustrating 2-2 draw with Monza in their last outing ahead of the clash with the Tuscan side.
Empoli find themselves in a tough spot in Serie A with only a few weeks left to play, sitting 17th in the table with 32 points, barely above 18th place Udinese, pilling on the pressure as they work to avoid the drop.
Tudor left Luis Alberto out of the Lazio squad for the match following the arrival of a lucrative offer from Qatar, prompting distraction. In the meantime, the squad wore special shirts commemorating the 50th anniversary of their 1973-74 Scudetto success.
Empoli thought they’d taken an early lead in the 17th minute after a Ciccio Caputo strike, but it was correctly ruled offside following the pass from Matteo Cancellieri.
The Biancocelesti were mostly in control in the first half and took a 1-0 lead in the closing minutes of the first half after Patric latched onto a Mattia Zaccagni corner to poke it into the back of the net.
The Tuscan outfit started to push in the second half and looked moderately threatening, but Christos Mandas did well to deny the visitors, maintaining Lazio’s slim 1-0 lead across the second half.
Matias Vecino closed out the match for the Roman outfit in the 89th minute, charging through the middle after a Pedro pass to place it in the bottom left corner, making it 2-0 just before extra time. Lazio held on and secured a key three points, further condemning Empoli.