Three penalties, late drama and Malinovskyi’s brilliance light up the Olimpico as Lazio edge Genoa in a chaotic Serie A clash.
Lazio finally returned to winning ways at the Stadio Olimpico, snatching a dramatic 3–2 victory over Genoa thanks to a stoppage-time penalty converted by Danilo Cataldi. In a wild Serie A encounter decided at the 100th minute, Maurizio Sarri’s side claimed their first home win of 2026—and their first victory overall in two months.
The opening half was eerily subdued. With Lazio supporters absent due to protests, the atmosphere was flat and reflected on the pitch, where both teams struggled to create chances and tempo remained low.
Everything changed after the break. Lazio took the lead through a controversial penalty when Martin was adjudged to have handled in the box; Pedro calmly sent Bijlow the wrong way. Just six minutes later, Taylor appeared to have wrapped it up with a precise right-footed finish for 2–0.
Genoa, however, refused to fold. Inspired by a sensational performance from Ruslan Malinovskyi, the visitors were handed a penalty of their own after Gila blocked a long-range shot with his arm. Malinovskyi converted confidently, reigniting the contest. The Ukrainian then came agonizingly close to an “Olympic goal” from a corner, striking the post—Vitinha reacted quickest to tap in the rebound and make it 2–2.
As the match hurtled into deep stoppage time, Lazio were awarded a third penalty of the night after Ostigard handled inside the area. Under immense pressure, Cataldi stepped up at the 100th minute and buried the spot kick into the corner, sealing a frantic 3–2 win.
The result lifts pressure off Lazio in a delicate phase of their season, while Genoa are left to rue a costly late mistake after a spirited comeback.
Match Report: Lazio 3–2 Genoa
Scorers:
56’ Pedro (pen.), 62’ Taylor, 67’ Malinovskyi (pen.), 75’ Vitinha, 100’ Cataldi (pen.)
Lazio (4-3-3):
Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Provstgaard, Pellegrini (Nuno Tavares 82’); Cataldi, Basic, Taylor (Dele-Bashiru 81’); Isaksen (Noslin 87’), Maldini (Ratkov 73’), Pedro (Cancellieri 73’).
Head coach: Maurizio Sarri.
Genoa (3-5-2):
Bijlow; Marcandalli, Ostigard, Vasquez; Norton-Cuffy, Malinovskyi (Masini 87’), Frendrup, Ellertsson, Martin (Messias 68’); Vitinha (Cornet 80’), Colombo (Ekuban 81’).
Head coach: Daniele De Rossi.
Referee: Zufferli
Yellow cards: Malinovskyi, Ostigard, Norton-Cuffy (Genoa); Provedel, Pellegrini (Lazio)
