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Welcome last-day Lazio win |
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Lazio finished their season with a win over 10-man Udinese to leapfrog their opponents and give their disappointing Serie A campaign a hint of respectability.
Thomas Hitzlsperger put the Biancoceleste ahead after 15 minutes before Antonio Di Natale levelled on the half-hour mark, but the game changed when Mauricio Isla saw red seven minutes later.
Sergio Floccari then re-established the lead on the stroke of half-time and Cristian Brocchi completed the scoring seven minutes after the restart.
It could have been more, too, but for an impressive debut from Venezuelan goalkeeper Rafael Romo.
It was Udinese who started the brighter, Alexis Sanchez testing Tommaso Berni from distance in the third minute.
Isla then played in Di Natale 10 minutes later but the Azzurri striker fired wide.
When the goal came, though, it was at the other end.
Hitzlsperger's 30-yard strike beat young Udinese keeper Romo thanks to a deflection off Maurizio Domizzi.
Simone Pepe's free-kick after 22 minutes was well caught by Berni as Udinese pushed for an equaliser, before Antonio Floro Flores failed to connect with Giovanni Pasquale's ball when any sort of touch would have put it in.
The leveller finally came after 30 minutes, as Di Natale found the bottom corner with a low strike from the edge of the box for his 29th goal of the season.
Debutant keeper Romo saved well from Tommaso Rocchi two minutes later, before the Biancoceleste captain came close to giving his side the lead.
He was through one on one with Romo but yet again the young keeper saved.
Isla made life difficult for his side when he picked up two bookings in the space of a minute - first for fouling Rocchi, then for abusive language - to earn a red card.
Cristian Ledesma tried his luck with a drilled shot from distance but the ball went narrowly over.
Lazio did take the lead on the stroke of half-time, though, Floccari netting with a fine right-foot shot after collecting a pass from Rocchi.
Within minutes of the restart the game was all but over, thanks to Brocchi's well-directed low drive.
Ledesma was determined to get on the scoresheet, though - he was twice denied by Romo, first from a 25-yard drilled shot, then from a curling effort.
At the other end, Sanchez contrived to miss an open goal after being played in by Di Natale.
A trio of saves from Romo stopped Lazio adding to their total.
First he stopped Mobido Diakite's header from a Ledesma cross, then repelled Sergio Floccari's close-range attempt.
He was again on hand eight minutes from time, showing good anticipation to come out and deny Floccari.
The final chance went to Diakite, who fired over from distance.
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