Three handballs

Season 2025-26

Game 24, Serie A

Friday, January 30, 2026

  Previous Match Next  

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Genoa 3-2

Referee gives three penalties for three handballs, fortunately Lazio get two and win the game in the last seconds

Official SS Lazio photo

The team

Maurizio Sarri surprisingly decided to play newcomer Daniel Maldini at the centre of the attack but was forced to put Pedro in place of Mattia Zaccagni injured at the last minute. Toma Basic again placed centre right. No Alessio Romagnoli who may leave or may not, substituted by Oliver Provstgaard.

Official SS Lazio photo

First half

The Stadio Olimpico was completely empty following the Lazio fans boycott in protest against President Claudio Lotito. Just barely a couple of thousand spectators.

The only chance of the first 45 minutes came from Genoa in the 35th minute when Ruslan Malinovskyi sent a good ball in the box for Vitinha who avoided the offside trap but Ivan Provedel managed to come out of his goal and parry the header. The game was played at a good rhythm but both sides failed to be dangerous.

Second half

The Biancocelesti were much more aggressive and scored in the 57th minute. Gustav Isaksen in the box tried a cross which was handballed by Aarón Martín. Lengthy check from Var and penalty awarded. Pedro took the spot kick and it was 1-0.

Official SS Lazio photo

On the waves of enthusiasm Lazio scored again. In the 62nd minute long ball from Provedel, Martín failed to intervene so Isaksen exploited the situation running into the box and from the by-line looked up, passed to Kenneth Taylor who with a clinical right footed shot placed the ball into the net. First goal in Serie A for the Dutchman.

Genoa reduced the deficit shortly after. A massive Malinovskyi whack was handballed by Mario Gila and the referee, after being summoned by Var, gave a penalty which Malinovskyi scored in the 66th minute.

Toma Basic went close to scoring in the 72nd and immediately afterwards Sarri made some changes: in went Matteo Cancellieri and Petar Ratkov for Pedro and Maldini. A strange move since they both seemed in good shape. Genoa also made a substitution: Junior Messias for Martín.

In the 77th minute the visitors equalised. Malinovskyi from a corner hit the crossbar, the ball fell to Vitinha who made it 2-2.

More substitutions followed: Lazio threw in Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Tijani Noslin and Nuno Tavares for Taylor, Isaksen and Luca Pellegrini, Genoa added Maxwell Cornet, Patrizio Masini and Caleb Ekuban for Vitinha, Malinovskyi and Lorenzo Colombo.

Seven minutes of added time. In the fifth, Cancellieri crossed from the right, Ratkov tried a header which was handballed by Leo Østigård. After another lengthy Var review, the referee decided it was a penalty. Danilo Cataldi made no mistake and it was 3-2 for Lazio.

Game over. The Biancocelesti showed some signs of life compared to previous matches and Maldini looked to be a good signing.

Who played for Lazio

Provedel, Marusic, Gila, Provstgaard, Pellegrini (81' Nuno Tavares), Taylor (81' Dele-Bashiru), Cataldi, Basic, Isaksen (87' Noslin), Maldini (72' Ratkov), Pedro (72' Cancellieri)

Substitutes: Motta, Furlanetto, Vecino, Rovella, Zaccagni, Dia, Belahyane, Hysaj, Lazzari

Manager: Sarri

Who played for Genoa

Bijlow, Marcandalli, Ostigard, Vasquez, Norton-Cuffy, Malinovskyi (87' Masini), Frendrup, Ellertsson, Martin (68' Messias), Colombo (78' Cornet), Vitinha (78' Ekuban) Substitutes: Leali, Sommariva, Thorsby, Zatterstrom, Onana, Sabelli, Ekhator, Cuenca, Otoa, Celik, Nuredini

Manager: De Rossi

Referee: Zufferli

Goals: 57' Pedro (pen), 62' Taylor, 66' Malinovskyi (pen), 75' Vitinha, 90+10' Cataldi (pen)

Booked: Malinovsky (G), Provedel (L), Ostigard (G), Pellegrini (L), Norton-Cuffy (G)