Goals from Brayan Perea and Felipe Anderson shepherded SS Lazio through to the UEFA Europa League round of 32, with Legia Warszawa still without a point or a goal in Group J.
The Polish champions struggled to make any impact on a slick Lazio side. Perea headed the visitors in front in the first half, and a neat finish from Felipe Anderson doubled their advantage. Vladimir Petković's team now take on Trabzonspor AŞ on matchday six knowing a win in Rome will put them top of Group J, with a guaranteed home tie in the round of 32 second leg.
Lazio set the pace from the off and went ahead after 24 minutes, Lucas Biglia picking out Perea, who totted up the ball before nodding firmly past Dušan Kuciak in the Legia goal. A decent opportunity was then passed up at the other end, with Vladimer Dvalishvili missing the target from Miroslav Radović's pass.
Perea set up Felipe Anderson early in the second period, but the Brazilian midfielder's effort was comfortably saved by Kuciak. However, he gave the goalkeeper no chance on 57 minutes after Hernanes delivered the ball to his feet, finishing confidently from just inside the box.
Lazio kept pushing for a third and were nearly caught out on 68 minutes when goalkeeper Etrit Berisha's attempted headed clearance presented the ball to Legia substitute Henrik Ojamaa, but he failed to get his shot on target from the corner of the area. An even better opening went begging at the death, with another Berisha mishap offering Radović a sight of goal, but Biglia cleared off the line.
For the first time in 114 years in Lazio's history the starting 11 had no Italians in it. Sergio Floccari was subbed on in the 77th minute to change things. The starting 11 had 2 Brazilians, 2 Albanians, a Belgium, a Romanian, a Frenchman, an Argentine, a Uruguayan, a Colombian and a Spaniard. The team has fielded in previous games 10 non-Italian players which takes us back in 1931/32 when the team fielded 9 Brazilians. It's obvious that in the next games Lazio will have Italians in their starting squad because NT players Marchetti and Candreva were left out of the team to rest for the important game against Napoli in Serie A.
Line-up:
Lazio: Berisha, Cavanda, Ciani, Cana, Radu (c), Biglia, Anderson (Floccari 77'), Hernanes, Gonzalez (Lulic 81'), Keita (Onazi 73'), Perea