Serie A | Torino 1-1 Lazio: Immobile and Reina snatch draw
Ciro Immobile converted a penalty in stoppages to snatch a draw for Lazio, as Marko Pjaca thought he had given Torino a third straight victory and Pepe Reina made decisive saves.
The Aquile really needed to get back on track after one point from their last three games between Serie A and the Europa League, but also rotated the squad ahead of this weekend’s Rome Derby, giving Raul Moro his first start. Maurizio Sarri was again in the stands, completing his two-match touchline ban. Toro had found their form under new coach Ivan Juric with back-to-back victories, despite Dennis Praet joining Andrea Belotti, Simone Zaza and Armando Izzo on the treatment table, with Marko Pjaca not fit to start either.
Ciro Immobile saw Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, brother of Sergej, off his line and attempted an audacious lob from midfield.
The striker also tested VMS from distance, but Pepe Reina flew to fingertip an Antonio Sanabria header over the line from Ola Aina’s cross.
Lazio made changes at the break and there was an immediate impact, Felipe Anderson rolling across the face of goal, where Pedro flung himself to the back post, inches away from the tap-in.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic threatened a goal against his brother Vanja, the snapshot flashing wide of the far post.
Cristian Ansaldi went even closer with a similar strike that took a deflection on the way through, and Torino eventually took the lead with the same player who scored the winner against Sassuolo at the weekend.
Pjaca had only just come off the bench under two minutes earlier, not being 100 per cent fit, when he rose to nod in a Wilfred Singo cross from the right.
It was almost 2-0, Reina having to parry an absolute rocket from Pjaca on the edge of the penalty area.
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic had to flap an Immobile header out from under the bar on a corner, but in stoppages there was drama when the referee pointed to the spot for Koffi Djidji’s clumsy challenge on Vedat Muriqi. Immobile kept his cool and sent Milinkovic-Savic the wrong way with a slightly scuffed penalty.
Torino 1-1 Lazio
Pjaca 75 (T), Immobile pen 91 (L)