Lazio 2 : 0 Parma - Lazio ease to victory

Posted Sunday, April 10, 2011 by PA

Lazio leapfrogged Udinese to go fourth in Serie A with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Parma to spoil Franco Colomba's first match in charge.

Hernanes put the Romans ahead midway through the first half before substitute Sergio Floccari made it 2-0 with 13 minutes remaining.

The result spoiled Colomba's bow in the Parma dugout but raised the hosts' prospects of securing Champions League football at the end of the season, with Lazio now one point clear of Udinese, who lost 2-1 against Roma on Saturday.

Parma, meanwhile, have dropped one place to 17th in the standings, just one point clear of the relegation zone.

Colomba, who replaced Pasquale Marino after Parma's 2-1 home defeat by bottom side Bari last weekend, took the reins of a team that had won just once in its previous 10 games appears to have his work cut out reversing that run.

The home side enjoyed a strong start and took a 23rd-minute lead.

Christian Brocchi fed Hernanes outside the area and his right-footed shot from 30 yards whistled past Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante.

Parma threatened to equalise on the half-hour mark but Lazio goalkeeper Fernando Muslera kept out Sebastian Giovinco's bullet strike from just outside the area.

Parma went close before half-time when Amauri got behind Francesco Modesto's cross from the right but his powerful header from the heart of the area went wide.

Lazio could have scored again an hour into the contest but Giuseppe Sculli's effort went wide.

In the 77th minute, Floccari made no mistake with an opportunity that was set up by Stephan Lichtsteiner.

He served Floccari inside the area and his right-footed shot from eight yards beat Mirante.

Hernanes could have claimed his second of the afternoon deep in injury time but struck wide from close range.