Taty on target twice as Lazio put four past Nice in Europa League thrashing
In a rain-soaked Rome, Lazio got off to a fast start, twice hitting the woodwork inside the opening 15 minutes.
First, Pedro’s corner was met with a towering header from Taty Castellanos that rocked the post, before Matias Vecino’s deflected shot from distance cannoned off the crossbar minutes later.
The pressure from the Biancocelesti was relentless and finally paid off in the 20th minute. After Nice failed to clear Pedro’s corner, the Spaniard followed up by running into the box and powering a sublime effort into the roof of the net.
The French side struggled to gain a foothold in the contest until the half-hour mark when they registered their first shot of the evening courtesy of Badredine Bouanani’s effort from the edge of the box that Christos Mandas smartly saved.
Just as the Les Aiglons looked to be building momentum, Lazio doubled their lead as Pedro slid Castellanos through to lob over Marcin Bulka for his first goal in European competition.
The hosts looked to be coasting to half-time in possession of a two-goal advantage, but Nice pulled one back when Jeremie Boga played a quick one-two with Youssoufa Moukoko before firing into the far corner.
The Italian outfit flew out of the blocks at the start of the second period and should have netted a third goal within minutes of the restart, as Pedro found himself free in the box but failed to squeeze his shot past Bulka.
The Lazio supporters who braved the torrential rain didn’t have to wait long to celebrate, though, thanks to Castellanos’ incredible composure while turning in the box, dribbling around three defenders and curling into the top corner.
Lazio wrapped up the victory midway through the second period after Castellanos was felled in the box by Bulka, allowing Mattia Zaccagni to slot a penalty into the corner.
Three goals to the good, the home side coasted through the final 25 minutes, as Nice struggled to lay a glove on Marco Baroni’s men.
A second win in two matches in the league phase puts the Serie A side in a strong position to qualify, while the French remain winless after their draw against Real Sociedad in the opening game.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Taty Castellanos (Lazio)