Lazio grabbed a 3-2 Serie A win over Genoa on January 30, 2026, at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The first half didn’t offer much, but the second half exploded with five goals and three penalties. Lazio captain Danilo Cataldi decided it late, scoring from the spot in the 10th minute of stoppage time to clinch the points.
The night also had a strange feel. The stadium was nearly empty because of a fan protest, so the atmosphere was quiet even as the match got louder and louder on the field.
Match recap, from a calm start to chaos
The opening 45 minutes stayed flat. Lazio had more of the ball, but Genoa defended well and limited clear chances. It was 0-0 at halftime.
Everything changed after the break. In the 56th minute, Lazio won a penalty after VAR checked a handball by Genoa’s Aaron Martin on a Gustav Isaksen cross. Pedro took it and scored with no fuss to make it 1-0.
Lazio kept pushing, and the lead doubled in the 62nd minute. Isaksen got down the right and played a sharp low ball into the box. Kenneth Taylor finished it to score his first goal for Lazio, and it looked like the match was done at 2-0.
Genoa had other plans. In the 68th minute, they earned a penalty, and Ruslan Malinovskyi buried it with a left-footed shot into the corner to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Then came the equalizer. In the 75th minute, Vitinha made it 2-2 with a clean finish, completing Genoa’s comeback and setting up a tense ending.
Added time brought one more twist. Lazio were awarded another penalty deep into stoppage time after a late incident in Genoa’s box. There was a heated moment involving Genoa sub Maxwel Cornet before the kick, but Cataldi stayed composed and scored past Justin Bijlow to seal the 3-2 win.
The result gave Lazio their sixth straight league win over Genoa and lifted them to eighth in the Serie A table. Genoa took their first loss of 2026, but they showed plenty of fight after going two down. Lazio’so performance and lineup
Lazio lined up in a 4-3-3 under coach Igor Tudor, and they showed real nerve at the end.
| Position | Player | Key Contribution | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Ivan Provedel | Solid throughout, key saves | Commanded the area well |
| DF | Adam Marusic | Defensive stability | |
| DF | Mario Gila | Strong in duels | |
| DF | Oliver Provstgaard | Composed at the back | |
| DF | Luca Pellegrini | Subbed off (Tavares 80′) | |
| MF | Kenneth Taylor | Goal (62′), midfield energy | First Lazio goal |
| MF | Danilo Cataldi | Winning penalty (90’+10), captain | Hero of the match |
| MF | Toma Basic | Helped manage the tempo | |
| FW | Gustav Isaksen | Assist for Taylor, a constant threat | Subbed (Noslin 87′) |
| FW | Pedro | Penalty goal (56′) | Veteran impact |
| FW | Mattia Maldini | Involved in build-up play | Subbed (Ratkov 73′) |
Substitutes: Nuno Tavares, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Tijjani Noslin, Petar Ratkov, Matteo Cancellieri.
Genoa performance and lineup
Genoa used a 3-5-2, and they showed real character to recover from 2-0 down, but the late penalty ended it.
| Position | Player | Key Contribution | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Justin Bijlow | Good save attempt on Cataldi’s pen, beaten three times | Solid despite defeat |
| DF | Andrea Marcandalli | Part of the back three | |
| DF | Leo Ostigard | Defensive leader | |
| DF | Johan Vasquez | Calm on the ball | |
| MF | Emmanuel Norton-Cuffy | Wing-back runs | |
| MF | Ruslan Malinovskyi | Penalty goal (68′), creative outlet | Subbed (Masini 87′) |
| MF | Morten Frendrup | Worked hard in midfield | |
| MF | Mikael Ellertsson | Energy in the middle | |
| MF | Aaron Martin | Handball led to Lazio’s first penalty | |
| FW | Andrea Pinamonti / Colombo | Involved early | Subbed (Ekuban 80′) |
| FW | Vitinha | Equalizer (75′) | Subbed (Cornet 80′) |
Substitutes: Patrizio Masini, Caleb Ekuban, Maxwel Cornet.
Final thoughts
This match was a perfect example of how quickly Serie A games can turn. Lazio looked comfortable at 2-0, Genoa fought back to 2-2, and then Cataldi’s late penalty ended it. Lazio will take confidence from the result, while Genoa will feel they deserved at least a point before that last moment.
