Lazio crash as Immobile sees red against Torino

Rome (AFP) – Ciro Immobile was sent off as 10-man Lazio crashed to a 3-1 Serie A defeat against Torino in Rome on Monday.

Italian international Immobile saw red just before the break for a headbutt aimed at Torino defender Nicolas Burdisso.

The defeat ended Lazio’s hopes of joining city rivals Roma in fourth.

“I can analyse the first half because the match was decided by the referee,” an angry Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi said. “It was the most difficult break for me since I’ve been coach. It wasn’t right.”

Andrea Belotti and Immobile both rattled the woodwork in the first half before tempers flared following a blatant Iago Falque handball in the penalty area.  

A furious Immobile, angered at Lazio not being awarded a penalty, jerked his head towards Burdisso in a face-to-face between the rivals.

The Lazio player was sent off after the referee consulted the VAR (video assistant referee).

“Immobile’s sending off? I don’t care. That’s what VAR is there for,” said Torino coach Sinisa Mihajlovic.

“I want to talk about the match, because I’m proud of my boys, we deserved these three points because we were superior.”

All four goals were scored in the second half with Alex Berenguer opening after 54 minutes and Venezuelan Tomas Rincon adding a second ten minutes later after a solo break from midfield through the Lazio defence. 

Simone Edera sealed the win on 73 minutes.

Luis Alberto pulled a goal back to give a glimmer of hope to the hosts who played the entire second half without Immobile, their top scorer.

The win moves Torino up from 12th to eighth position, with Lazio, who have a game in hand, staying fifth, eight points behind leaders Inter Milan.

Meanwhile, the game between Genoa and Atalanta was postponed until Tuesday because of snow in northern Italy.