Lazio have produced a stunning comeback to beat Cesena 3-2 in Serie A on Thursday, despite a first-half red card to Abdoulay Konko.
Cesena led 2-0 at halftime after goals to Adrian Mutu and Vincenzo Iaquinta, who scored from the penalty spot on debut, but Lazio rallied to score three goals in 10 second-half minutes.
Iaquinta, who joined Cesena on loan from Juventus last month, started up front alongside Mutu and the veterans were in good touch early.
Mutu tapped home his strike-partner's low cross in the 14th minute and then won a penalty in the 33rd minute when Konko slid in from behind and tripped the Romanian in a heavy challenge.
The French defender, who joined Lazio from Genoa in July, was the last man and was rightly sent off just before Iaquinta comfortably converted the penalty.
Lazio, however, looked inspired with only 10 men on the field and started the second half in determined fashion.
Hernanes got the comeback started with a top-notch goal in the 53rd minute.
The Brazilian playmaker collected the ball with his back to goal as he moved across the top of the box and, after taking a touch, turned and struck a powerful shot past Cesena custodian Francesco Antonioli.
That sparked a frenetic 10 minutes for the home side as Senad Lulic and substitute Libor Kozak also got on the scoresheet, handing Lazio the lead.
The victory takes Lazio above Udinese into third on the Serie A table although Udinese have a game in hand on the club from the Italian capital.
Cesena manager Daniele Arrigoni will be furious after his side surrendered their two-goal lead as an away win would have been a huge bonus for the struggling club, who are second last and four points from safety.
0 - 1 |
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0 - 2 |
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1 - 2 |
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2 - 2 |
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3 - 2 |
| # | Player | Bookings |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | F. Marchetti | |
| 78 | L. Zauri | |
| 20 | G. Biava | |
| 29 | A. Konko |
 33'
|
| 24 | C. Ledesma | |
| 11 | Matuzalém |
 34'
|
| 8 | Hernanes |
 53'
|
| 15 | Á. González | |
| 87 |
A. Candreva
|
|
| 19 | S. Lulić |
61'
|
| 25 | M. Klose | |
| Coach: E. Reja | ||
| # | Player | Bookings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | F. Antonioli | |
| 16 | G. Comotto |
62'
|
| 2 | G. Rodríguez | |
| 6 | M. Lauro | |
| 7 |
M. Santana
|
|
| 14 | G. Colucci | |
| 33 |
D. Pudil
|
|
| 18 | M. Parolo | |
| 77 | L. Ceccarelli | |
| 9 |
V. Iaquinta
|
 35'
|
| 10 | A. Mutu |
14'
73'
|
| Coach: D. Arrigoni | ||
| # | Player | Bookings |
|---|---|---|
| 18 |
for A. Candreva 46' |
63'
84'
|
| 5 |
for L. Kozák 84' |
|
| 1 | ||
| 14 | ||
| 33 | ||
| 41 | ||
| 53 |
| # | Player | Bookings |
|---|---|---|
| 11 |
for V. Iaquinta 59' |
90'
|
| 31 |
for D. Pudil 64' |
71'
|
| 5 |
for M. Santana 70' |
|
| 13 | ||
| 15 | ||
| 55 | ||
| 88 |
