Floriani hits maiden goal as Lazio go top

Romano Floriani scored his first Serie A goal as Lazio soared to the top of the Italian league with a 6-2 thrashing of 10-man Sassuolo on Tuesday.

Floriani, great-grandson of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, scored in the 17th minute of a match Lazio were dominating even before Sassuolo’s Kristian Thorstvedt saw red in the 31st minute.

“I’m really happy to have scored that first goal, but even more so about this win, which is crucial for us,” said right-back Floriani.

Lazio have accrued 25 of 27 points possible from their opening nine games and sit three points ahead of reigning champions Inter Milan, who visit last-placed Venezia on Wednesday.

Kenneth Taylor opened the scoring for Lazio before Thorstvedt pulled one back for the home side.

Gustav Isaksen and Floriani added to Lazio’s count before Sebastiano Esposito scored a second for Sassuolo.

A goal by Mattia Zaccagni and a Tijjani Noslin double – despite missing two penalties – stretched the Rome club’s winning lead.

But manager Gennaro Gattuso stressed that his team must not get ahead of themselves.

“We mustn’t look at the standings, otherwise we’ll get a headache and start thinking we’re very good,” he said.

“We must not stray from our path, the path of hard work, of taking it one match at a time.”